Each year a number of students gather at the Montserrat Cultural Centre, prior to entering the first form of the Montserrat Secondary School, for what is known as Orientation Week. The week provides an opportunity for students from all of the primary schools to meet, mingle and generally get to know each other before the start of their five-year journey through the Montserrat Secondary School. The orientation is coordinated by the Legislature Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Montserrat Secondary School.
Sessions are held throughout the week and these aim at teaching the students how to navigate the Montserrat Secondary School system to become successful students. They learn the value of teamwork and are generally provided with tools and tips that will enable them to become better students and better citizens. As a part of this exercise, good habits are reinforced and bad ones are discouraged. The Department believes that the children’s success is the success of Montserrat on a whole.
Members of the Community willingly assist with the orientation by making their expertise available. Likewise, Parliamentarians welcome the opportunity to contribute to the development of the young people, some of whom will become future leaders of the country.
It is heartening to see responsible citizens investing in the lives of young people, as that is a good way of ensuring that they are well equipped to take their places in society. With that sort of investment Montserrat is more likely to be a place where people can thrive; a society well positioned to sustain both the young and the old.
The week culminates with a visit to a site of interest and then a fun and relaxing time at the beach.
