In January, 2007, Archbishop Edward J Gilbert, issued a call to all Councils, Commissions and Secretariats of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain to create a Values and Virtues Programme for use in our Catholic schools and parish-based catechetical programmes.

His call actually exhorts all involved to engage in a nation-building exercise: “We must begin trying to reclaim the nation. The first step in the reclaiming process is to concentrate on values and recommit to virtuous living…The good people have to work hard together to build a society on values/virtuous living. They must give to the young an experience of living with values and virtue.”

The Post SEA Values and Virtues Formation Programme that began this term in our Catholic primary schools, has at its core the Abstinence Programme, one of the late Fr Michael Moses’ legacies to the archdiocese.

To date, 159 teachers have been exposed to the Values and Virtues Formation Programme, nine of whom represent private institutions (Maria Regina Grade School, St Jude’s Home for Girls, St Monica’s Preparatory, and St Xavier’s Preparatory). Eleven of our 120 Catholic primary schools have not been trained. 

On Thursday, April 3 at the Fatima RC Hall in Curepe, 99 teachers and one priest attended the final training workshop, where they were briefed on accelerated teaching methods and emotional literacy by Selwyn Bhajan, who spear-headed the development of the curriculum for this programme.

Joseph Ragoonanan, Coordinator of the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the Student Support Services within the Ministry of Education, delivered the ministry’s guidelines for schools dealing with victims of domestic abuse (sexual, physical, and psychological).

Teachers were also equipped with a protocol manual that gives guidelines for identifying signs of abuse, and it provides each school with a list of supporting agencies, child psychologists and counsellors.

Participants were also given the opportunity to share their concerns about the programme.  This exercise was not only important because they are the ones implementing it, but more so because their concerns have been aired by others in the archdiocese.

As such, rather than dismiss them, it is necessary for us to highlight and address the issues as a community. These are some of the issues discussed:

• Student and teacher absenteeism in the third term
• Parental support and involvement
• Approaching topics such as STDs, abstinence and self-worth
• Diverse family backgrounds and lifestyles
• Secondary virginity. Yes, we said it – secondary virginity is one of the topics to be discussed with our primary school students
• Parish involvement
• Programme Sustainability
• Teacher Support Mechanisms

As messengers of the Good News, our teachers are being called upon to “walk the talk”. Several teachers admitted that this programme has turned out to be a conscience call for them, as it should be for all stakeholders involved: students, family members, and our parish communities. Whilst it is not an insurmountable task, this programme goes counter –culture, so our teachers will need our daily prayers and visible support for this initiative to be successful. 

WHAT IS THE VALUES AND VIRTUES FORMATION PROGRAMME?

The terminology clearly defines what we want to achieve:

• Value: An ideal that helps people to determine what is right and wrong, that guides their thoughts and behaviour. We must remember if values are to be authentic they must be rooted in the truth.
• Virtue: A quality of inner goodness through which one lives well and avoids living badly.

This programme is geared towards all our SEA students: Catholic, and those of other traditions. Through the programme the Archdiocese of Port-of-Spain hopes to instil in all participants the values and virtues that can shape their life choices and behavioural patterns by achieving the following objectives:

1. The promotion of risk avoidance behaviour among our young people
2. The teaching of life skills and coping strategies
3. Preparation for the Secondary School Environment
4. Fostering respect and care for the environment

PROGRAMME RATIONALE

The effort to develop all Post-SEA students, regardless of their religious affiliations, has its genesis in the Church’s historically universal role in fulfilling “a service of public usefulness, and although [it is] clearly and decidedly configured in the perspective of the Catholic faith, is not reserved to Catholics only… [since] Catholic schools have always promoted civil progress and human development without discrimination of any kind”. (Vatican Council II, Declaration on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis, n 8.)

In Trinidad and Tobago, Catholic Primary schools cater to 23% of the primary school population, and non-Catholics recently comprised the majority of the 28,954 students attending our primary schools.

Indeed, recent figures show that 59% of our students are non-Catholic. (Statistics gathered from the Catholic Education Board of Management Limited and the Ministry of Education of Trinidad and Tobago’s Division for Educational Research and Evaluation, 2004/5 academic year).

The Church has always made every effort to promote Abstinence-before-Marriage and Risk Avoidance behavioural practices among those in our charge, and to educate them on related matters such as STD/AIDS awareness, prevention, and the care for affected individuals and their families.

Our programme is the archdiocese’s holistic and proactive approach to tackling the problem at the family-level, and is an off-shoot of the 113 Abstinence Clubs currently in existence in secondary schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

THE STEERING COMMITTEE

The archdiocese, under the mandate of Archbishop Gilbert, will be spearheading the programme, in collaboration with the Catholic Education Board of Management Ltd. of Trinidad and Tobago (CEBM).

The project is in keeping with His Grace’s message of Solidarity, and the steering committee comprises education specialists and the following Archdiocesan Commissions:

• The Catholic Commission for Social Justice
• The Family Life Commission
• The Catechetical Office
• The Evangelization Commission
• The Catholic Youth Secretariat

THE CURRICULUM

The curriculum, produced by masters in the field of curriculum development, encompasses three areas which will be covered in Post-SEA classes from April – July 2008:

• An Abstinence Programme forms the framework of the entire programme. Ours will be adapted from the “Governor’s Program on Abstinence” that was successfully implemented in public schools in Louisiana, USA, in 2002. The series teaches Risk Avoidance, Behaviour Change, Life Skills, Self-awareness, setting boundaries, peer pressure, saying “NO”, and STD/AIDS awareness and avoidance.
• A three-month curriculum of Mathematics, English, Health and Family Life, Drama, as well as sporting activities. 
• A Formation Programme will prepare the participants for and support them during Forms 1 and 2 initially, by reinforcing teachings on morals, life skills, values, self-awareness and coping skills that pre-teens and teenagers need to survive. The religious education text that is already used in Std 5 classes will cover the faith component.

FOLLOW UP INITIATIVES

To further develop the values instilled in participants during the early years of their secondary school education, the following activities will be put in place: 

1. A Student Database will help us to monitor the development of all the participants
2. Abstinence Clubs for our students attending secondary schools which are yet to establish one. 
3. A Faith Formation Drive in the secondary schools and parishes.
4. A Parenting Programme, where trained facilitators educate, counsel and provide other family support services. 

The Archdiocese welcomes your comments, support and prayers.  For further information, or to tithe your time, talents or treasures, please contact the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission at 672-4478/4280, or email us at twilliams@ familylifecommission.mx.tt

Schools that have not yet participated in the programme:

1. Brasso RC
2. Diego Martin Boys’ RC
3. Granville RC
4. La Fillette RC    
5. Lochmaben RC
6. Morne Diable RC
7. Newtown Boys’ RC
8. Paramin RC  
9. Petit Valley Boys’ RC
10. Santa Maria RC 
11. St Theresa Girls’ RC
12. Tamana RC
13. Valencia RC