Author: John Robert Lee
FORTUNA ANTHONY DELIVERS FRC/CDF LECTURE on EMANCIPATION AND CULTURAL EDUCATION.
In recent years the Folk Research Centre and the Cultural Development Foundation have collaborated on the annual presentation of Emancipation lectures. There was no lecture in 2011, but the FRC and CDF have again come together to present a lecture with an Emancipation theme as part of Nobel laureate Week.
The lecturer is Ms Fortuna Anthony and the topic of her lecture is “Making Emancipation, nationhood, national identity and St. Lucian-ness meaningful through the provision of cultural education in a structured way.”
This lecture opens a public dialogue initiated by the FRC as it plans the launch of a proposed Harold Simmons Folk Academy, which will provide courses in cultural education. Ms. Anthony’s experience as an educator with experience at home and abroad makes her an ideal person to help the FRC realize its vision of a Folk Academy.
The lecture forms part of the Nobel laureate Week celebrations and is scheduled for Wednesday February 1st at the CDF Conference Room, Barnard Hill at 7.30 pm.
Following is some background information on Ms. Anthony:
An educator for the last 40+ years Ms. Anthony has worked at all levels of the education system. Her experience is not only in the public school sphere but she was also the Principal of Codrington High School in Barbados. Ms. Anthony’s experience in education is not only restricted to the Caribbean, but she was instrumental in establishing Saturday Support Schools in the UK which was highly supported and commended by Prime Minister Blair.
She is a trained qualified teacher, with a Masters in Education with emphasis on Special Education, as well as a Bachelor of Philosophy from the University of Warwick, UK. She holds several other qualification- such as a first class Diploma in Household Science, a First Class Certificate in Guidance and Counseling as well as an Executive Diploma in Management and Administration. She is also a trained mediator having been certified by the Judicial Education Institute of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. She is also a trained Character Educator receiving her training in the USA.
Ms Anthony is affiliated to a number of voluntary organizations and is an Ambassador of Peace. She initiated the summer camp concept for students at risk which has been in operation from 2005. This has assisted a number of young persons to develop leadership skills, stronger character and has helped them to assess themselves in terms of the choices that they make in life.
She served as the President of the Archeological and Historical Society and serves on the Executive as the immediate Past President. Ms Anthony was instrumental in taking thirty one (31) school students - the Junior Trouble Shooter, the Junior arm of the A and H Society - to Dominica, where they were able to experience the cultural and historical sites of that country. She knows that a nation which does not understand its past, cannot chart its present nor future course. She is of the firm belief that our identity as a nation can only be preserved if we instill an understanding of who we are at a very early age. Hence our culture, our historical past must be taught and preserved through the generations.
She retired as the Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education in 2005. She is presently involved in Education Management Consultancy, and has worked as a Technical Assistant for the European Union through Cambridge Education, as the Early Childhood Consultant in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. There she was responsible for writing the Early Childhood Policy, Standard and Regulations as well as re-energizing this education sector.
She has also worked for UNICEF, written the Policy and Standard and Regulations for Montserrat Early Childhood sector. For the last three years she has been contracted by the Caribbean Child Support Initiative as the Regional Coordinator for Family Literacy, with responsibility for the four Eastern Caribbean Islands as well as Belize.
During this period of time she conducted training in family literacy in these islands as well as writing many booklets such as “ Story Telling - a Family literacy Tool,” “Sing and Music - a Family Learning Tool,” “Art and Craft a Family Learning Tool “, which would assist others in training parents to better manage their children’s literacy development. In October 2011, she was instrumental in organising the first ever Regional Family Literacy Symposium under the theme: “ Making the Connections: Adult Literacy, Family Literacy and Early Childhood Development” hosted in St.Lucia at the Palm Haven Hotel.
She is particularly concerned about the young males in society, and has sought financial assistance and conducted an all-male workshop in order to assist young males in understanding themselves and their sexuality.
She is passionate about cooking and is involved in writing a local cook book. She recently published a Caribbean children’s story “Tim Tim the River Crayfish”- which is meant to educate especially children about the preservation of our natural waterways.
