There was a stirring message delivered by the youth preacher at Monday’s
Thanksgiving Service held at the St. John’s Pentecostal House of Restoration to
mark Education Month 2024 with the theme: reimaging education: colouring
outside the lines.
The sermon was delivered by Adrian Clarke, a Third Form student from the
Antigua Grammar School, who at this stage of his life has signaled that preaching
the word of God is something that he wishes to continue doing.
Clarke had the congregation, of students, teachers, parents and officials of the
Ministry of Education, totally engaged as he traversed many of the issues that are
of concern to young people today, particularly education; its value and the
methodologies employed in the education system in the transference of knowledge.
“Youths, parents, educators and administrators, we are all familiar with the
traditional paths of education, the well-trodden roads of textbooks and classrooms.
The rigid standards of exams. What if… we dared to step off these paths and
explore the wilderness of creativity and innovation? What if we allowed ourselves
to imagine a different kind of education—one that nurtures curiosity, encourages
exploration, and celebrates diversity? What if we allowed ourselves to self-
discover? What if we dare to color outside the lines?” he asked.
He told the young people that as youths, they are the pioneers of this new
educational frontier. “We possess natural curiosity and a boundless imagination
that can reshape this society and may I dear say the world. We should not be afraid
to colour outside the lines, and pursue our passions with vigor. Our education
should be a quest to uncover our unique talents and gifts,” he stated.
Clarke urged the young people to embrace the challenges as opportunities for
growth, the setbacks as lessons to be learned, and the successes as affirmations of
our potential.
He also had words of advice for the educators in the audience. “Educators, you are
the guides on this journey. Embrace the diversity of your students' gifts and talents,
and create a learning environment that celebrates individuality. Be open to new
ideas and methods, and never stop learning as well. Your classroom should be a
place of wonder and discovery, where we feel safe to explore and grow,” he
extolled.
Clarke pointed out that reimagining education also entails recognizing the
importance of holistic development. “We the youth require not only intellectual
stimulation but also emotional support, spiritual guidance, and opportunities for
personal growth. Be present for us, listening to our hopes and fears, and providing
a nurturing environment in which we can flourish,” he added.
Education Minister Daryll Matthew, who brought greetings on behalf of the
Ministry, noted that Education Month provides an opportunity to reflect on the
achievements and challenges of the education system as well as to celebrate the
successes of students and teachers, and to reaffirm the ministry’s commitment to
providing quality education.
“As we reimagine education, we must ask ourselves several challenging and
thought-provoking questions;
is our education relevant to today’s society?
Is our education system adaptable to our future development needs?
is our education system adequately preparing our students for the world of
AI and the massive technological advances?
is our education system preparing our students for a world and careers that
simply may not exist in a few years?
As we color outside of the lines, I challenge all of you student here today to be
bold, be fearless, seek to do great things. Change the world!” he declared.
Hundreds of young people from pre-K, primary, secondary and tertiary level
educational institutions were present at the service where their peers were featured
performing the key roles. They sang, read lessons, conducted the service or played
pan, and in the case of Adrian Clarke, delivered the sermon.
Also in attendance was the Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams.
