EDITOR’S NOTE
With only days to go until Nevisians head to the polls, nine of the 10 candidates running for leadership positions with the Nevis Island Administration have failed to answer substantive questions about our island’s future.
Only Vance Amory, Premier of Nevis and leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement, has responded to a three-question survey The Observer submitted to all ten of the candidates
Amory Answers
How will you improve education?
Our education system is the same as that in St. Kitts. Education is provided
to our youths from pre ˆschool to tertiary level. We provide and will
continue to provide opportunities to enable our youths to study abroad. Long
distance learning is now available at the UWI center. There are adult and
continuing education programs . There are opportunities for school dropouts
to attain O levels by studying individual subjects
What will you do to improve the family?
We understand that no one person or entity can be blamed for the current
situation we find ourselves in regarding our youths and the lifestyles they
take up. As a government we have put several things in place to try and
combat some of the issues that play a role in our youths becomin g at risk.
We will continue to provide parenting classes, and there is a social
development program for young people. We also sponsor discussional programs
and mentoring programs. We have no juvenile home, however we are looking
into that possibility. We are pursuing the possibility of providing
counselling opportunities in communities where there are at-risk youth. We
are pursuing the possibility of providing the opportunity to at-risk youth
to receive guidance and improve themselves and their social skills
What must be done to improve agriculture?
The agriculture sector here is growing. However, we are not satisfied with
its growth. We think that there is room for more growth. We will provide
incentives for farmers. There are government technical staff to aid
farmers. District officers are in the communities to assist local farmers
and educate them enabling them to improve their livestock and production.
