In a landmark announcement to Parliament, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has committed to establishing the nation’s first secondary school for the Spiritual Shouter Baptist community. The declaration came during special greetings ahead of Monday’s Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day public holiday.
The Prime Minister revealed her Cabinet’s formal approval to collaborate with Baptist leaders on this long-awaited educational initiative. “The community has consistently expressed their profound desire for secondary education facilities through years of advocacy,” Persad-Bissessar stated, emphasizing the government’s commitment to tangible action rather than empty promises.
This initiative builds upon Persad-Bissessar’s longstanding involvement with Baptist education. She recalled her previous role as education minister under former PM Basdeo Panday, when she authorized land transfers for Baptist institutions. Her earlier tenure as prime minister saw the establishment of both a primary school and an Early Childhood Care and Education Centre in partnership with former senator Archbishop Barbara Gray-Burke.
The political significance of this commitment was underscored during the parliamentary session. Persad-Bissessar contrasted her administration’s actions with previous governments, accusing the former People’s National Movement administration of hypocrisy in their treatment of the Baptist community.
Personal connections to the faith informed the Prime Minister’s passionate advocacy. She revealed her childhood baptism into the Baptist tradition despite her father’s Hindu background, describing how the faith shaped her development from a humble beginning in rural Trinidad.
The parliamentary announcement faced brief opposition scrutiny regarding language used in the historical anecdote, though the Speaker permitted the contextual reference. Persad-Bissessar defended her terminology as reflective of personal experience and cultural identity.
The Prime Minister positioned the secondary school initiative as both an educational milestone and appropriate recognition of the Baptist community’s integral role in Trinidad and Tobago’s national fabric.