Michael O'Sullivan shares photos from recent trips to The Bahamas, where he met the Zambian Minister of Education; and Mauritius, where he discovered a rich linguistic culture.
Pictured above is myself and Dr Micheal Kaingu, Zambian Minister of Education. I met with his counterparts from across the Commonwealth in the Bahamas last week to discuss common challenges facing societies and schools as they seek to tackle unemployment, inequality and economic change.
At the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM), there was rightly much discussion of immense challenges, increasing inequality and questioning of current education models. A more optimistic note was struck by this Bahamian school choir (pictured above), who held the Ministers and their delegations spellbound at the opening ceremony with a specially composed song: “With quality education, we can change the world”.
The 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers, an event which takes place only once every three years, was a big event for the Bahamas last week - opened by the Governor General and the Prime Minister. A big hit with the delegates was the entertainment provided by talented Bahamian performers of all ages.(Pictured above)
Pictured above is a milk van in Mauritius with the slogans in French. Mauritius, a Commonwealth country with a population of just over one million, where lessons in state schools are taught in English. The language of government is English, but the languages of choice for conversation, media and business are French and Creole. This breeds a rich linguistic culture in which all children speak more than one language. They take Cambridge International A Levels and O levels as their main school examinations, with a special French O Level reflecting their high level of fluency in the language.
Michael O'Sullivan
Chief Executive, Cambridge International Examinations