标签： Saint Lucia

A recent online video has sparked public concern over the denial of access to Soufrière’s main jetty for boat operators and passengers. However, Soufrière MP Emma Hippolyte has clarified that the restriction is essential due to safety risks and ongoing construction activities. During a pre-cabinet press briefing, Hippolyte revealed that the main jetty remains severely damaged, despite a temporary repair last year that permitted limited offloading. She emphasized that the area is currently unsafe for use. ‘All boat owners were notified that the main jetty is off-limits for now. The ongoing construction makes it hazardous,’ she stated. As an alternative, boat operators have been directed to three designated areas for passenger offloading. Hippolyte apologized to affected visitors but stressed the importance of boat owners adhering to guidelines issued by the Soufrière Regional Development Foundation. She also highlighted broader waterfront development plans, including major upgrades tied to Global Ports Holding and other government projects. ‘The entire Soufrière waterfront will undergo a transformation,’ she said, mentioning the construction of a new Soufrière Administrative Building. ‘We are conducting soil tests to ensure the building’s foundation is robust and durable,’ she added.

The Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO) has declared an ’emergency shutdown’ of its Northern Network, set to commence at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. This drastic measure is essential to address a rupture in the raw water transmission line, with repair operations anticipated to span 48 hours. During this period, residents from Millet to Cap Estate will experience significant disruptions in water pressure and supply. WASCO has further warned that even after the repairs are completed, customers residing in elevated areas or at the extremities of the distribution network may encounter prolonged delays in water restoration. In light of these challenges, the company has urged consumers to proactively collect and conserve water wherever feasible. This announcement has exacerbated existing grievances among customers, who have taken to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with WASCO’s monopoly over water treatment services on the island. For assistance, the public is encouraged to contact the North Control Room at 457-3958, 457-3960, 451-9812, or 482-0052 for water trucking support.

Across the Caribbean, governments frequently discuss the potential of the orange, green, blue, and purple economies, each promising transformative advancements in areas like sustainable energy and digital innovation. However, these ambitious visions are built on a precarious foundation. Without a robust education system capable of equipping citizens with the skills to navigate a rapidly evolving world, no strategy can achieve lasting success. Education has long been viewed as a reflection of cultural identity, but this nostalgic and prescriptive approach risks trapping curricula in outdated paradigms rather than preparing individuals for future challenges. Instead, education must serve as a shared baseline of orientation, empowering people to interpret, choose, and act in the face of global complexity. The metaphor of driving schools illustrates the dangers of fragmented education: if rules are contradictory, chaos ensues. In a world shaped by globalization, technological disruption, and climate change, citizens need common points of reference to foster collective decision-making. This is not about control but empowerment—a curriculum rooted in abundance and creativity can provide young people with the tools to act with awareness in their communities, economies, and democracies. While informal education through music, family, and community has historically filled gaps left by formal systems, these gaps are now too vast to ignore. A deliberate rethinking of education is urgently needed. This includes integrating indigenous heritage, migration stories, and global forces into history lessons, teaching geography and culture as interconnected, and using language that shapes how children see themselves in the world. UNESCO emphasizes the need to reimagine curricula to value diverse knowledge systems and cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and cooperation. Economically, the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas commits CARICOM states to the free movement of skilled professionals, but this vision falters without comparable qualifications and regional awareness. Without shared grounding, initiatives like the CSME risk stagnation, leaving citizens unprepared to navigate cross-border rights and opportunities. The cost of inaction is high: migration pressures will rise, inequality will deepen, and democratic trust will erode if education fails to prepare young people for local opportunities and contemporary debates. Reform demands political courage, public consultation, and long-term investment, but the rewards are significant. An education system that serves as a baseline rather than a mirror can anchor the Caribbean in global change, empowering citizens to interpret and shape the world together. While culture, music, and family will continue to inspire, the state must no longer rely on informal channels to carry the weight of national orientation. Sovereignty over knowledge is essential, and education must equip citizens with the clarity and context to choose wisely. In a fragmented world, this shared baseline could be the Caribbean’s greatest strength.