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Saint Kitts and Nevis
Overview
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis), located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. The islands have a history rich in international trade dating back to the British and French installation of sugar plantations. It was the leading trade centre in the New World for many years. It is still an international centre for tourism and tertiary education.
http://www.stkittsvisitorchannel.com/
It is the smallest nation in the Americas, in both area and population - of around 50,000. Total land area of St. Kitts is 168 sq. km. [65 sq. mi.] and Nevis 93 sq. km. [36 sq. mi.] but the islands are mostly mountainous with the population scattered around the peaks of Mt. Liamuiga and Nevis Peak. The Capitol City of Basseterre has a population of about 15,000. The capitol city and headquarters of government for the federated state is on the larger island of Saint Kitts. The smaller state of Nevis lies about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called "The Narrows".
Historically, the British dependency of Anguilla was also a part of this union, which was then known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.
Saint Kitts and Nevis are geographically part of the Leeward Islands. To the north-northwest lie the islands of Saint Eustatius, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin. To the east and northeast are Antigua and Barbuda, and to the southeast is the small uninhabited island of Redonda, and the island of Montserrat, which currently has an active volcano (see Soufrière Hills.)
Education
The public school system begins with Early Childhood Education and includes a network of nursery centres for infants to three year olds, preschool centres for children to age five, and daycare centres for infant to age five. There are 18 public primary schools in St. Kitts and 7 in Nevis. There are six private primary schools in St. Kitts and three in Nevis [see Table 2]. There are 11 secondary schools serving St. Kitts and Nevis. One of those is a private school and one is a virtual school funded by the United Nations Educational Social and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] field office based in Jamaica. The primary and secondary schools geographically serve the island communities. The educational system for tertiary learning demonstrates both public participation and international investment. The Ministry of Education administers the Advanced Vocational Education Centre, Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, the National Skills Training Program, and Project Strong. Each targets a specific population group identified through the comprehensive examination system administered by Caribbean Examinations Council. The University of the West Indies Open Campus has a country campus located in Basseterre. There are also five medical schools and a graduate school located in St. Kitts all with international funding and serving an international student population.
Virtual Learning
The Caribbean knowledge and learning network has conducted some small projects:
- Conducted an initial and follow-up needs assessment at Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College to determine their ICT capacity to support the teaching and learning process.
- 25 faculty members trained in course conversion and usage of the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) in online course delivery.
- 4 members of faculty and administration visited Canadian TLIs to strengthen their understanding of the implementation of E-Learning and to seek partnership opportunities.
- Faculty of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College received IT Operations and Management training.
- Server hardware provided to strengthen Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College’s ICT infrastructure.
- Student Records Management System (SRMS) platform currently being procured for Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.
http://www.ckln.org/home/content/projects-0
St. Kitts and Nevis enhanced the One-to-One Laptop Computer Initiative. Each high school student now receives a free computer. Furthermore, plans are also in place to give the laptops to teachers and staff of high schools. This project is being supported by a monetary donation and information technology equipment from the Formosan [Taiwanese] Government.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZVCmIKxe8k
Internet in St. Kitts and Nevis
The Caribbean Telecommunications Union initiated the Enhancing Competitiveness in the Caribbean through the Harmonization of ICT Policies (HIPCAR) regional project in partnership with the European Commission in 2008. Until recently there was little movement toward the implementation of HIPCAR in the islands. Technical assistance was available for Information Society issues including: eCommerce, Privacy and Data Protection, Interception of Communication, Cybercrime, and Access to Public Information; and Telecommunications Regulations including: Universal Service, Interconnection, and Licensing. Caribbean News Now published a report 3 August 2012 that the donation of servers required for establishing an Internet Exchange Point and domain name root servers were delivered by the United States-based company Packet Clearing House.
Trinidad and Tobago is home of the Virtual University of the Small States of the Commonwealth and Open Schooling initiatives. The Distance Learning Secretariat of the Ministry of Education established capacity-building activities related to the development and use of Open Educational Resources for the tertiary education sector.
Caribbean students preparing for high school exit exams have access to an online library of multimedia learning resources. A digital library and study groups help students prepare to take the Caribbean Examination Council exams.
http://openeducation.zunia.org/post/caribexamsorg/