Youth leader Sandrae Thomas has called for continued national conversations on education and youth development following the thought-provoking St Patrick’s Lecture delivered by educator Dr Samuel Joseph.
The lecture, held Wednesday evening at the Montserrat Public Library, sparked an extended discussion among educators, professionals and young people about the future of education and the role of technology in shaping the next generation. The event was attended by Minister of BUILTE Veronica Dorsett-Hector, Parliamentary Secretary Crenston Buffonge and other community leaders and residents.
Thomas suggested the ideas raised during the lecture should not end with a single annual event.
“This is a conversation that needs to happen again,” he said, proposing that a future lecture series be organised specifically for young people.
According to Thomas, the issues discussed during the evening, including education reform, critical thinking and youth empowerment, are particularly important for the next generation to hear and engage with directly.
The discussion segment of the lecture allowed audience members to reflect on their own experiences within the education system and how those experiences shaped their thinking.
Several participants echoed Dr. Joseph’s concern that curiosity is often discouraged within structured education systems.
Children, speakers noted, naturally ask questions and explore the world around them. Yet as they move through school, that curiosity can be replaced by a focus on procedures and examination results.
One participant described how a relative helped him understand mathematical concepts by explaining how they could be used in real-life situations, such as calculating where a tree might fall when cut. That practical example transformed a subject that had previously seemed abstract and confusing.
Another contributor highlighted the importance of encouraging curiosity in children, pointing to a news story about a nine-year-old aviation enthusiast who discovered an error in an aircraft manual simply by studying it carefully.
The story illustrated how curiosity and careful thinking can lead to insight regardless of age or formal qualifications.
Thomas also shared a personal story about participating in a regional youth meeting where many attendees introduced themselves by listing their academic degrees.
When his turn came, he instead focused on the leadership work he had been doing within youth organisations.
“My name is Sandrae Thomas,” he told the meeting. “I am the CEO and founder of the New Legacy CEO Youth Organisation.”
He also listed several regional and international groups he is involved with, including youth leadership and climate-related initiatives.
The response, he said, surprised him.
Many of the participants, despite their academic qualifications, applauded his work and told him they hoped to contribute to society in similar ways.
The experience reinforced for Thomas the idea that achievement should not be defined only by certificates.
He encouraged young people not to feel that they must wait until they possess certain credentials before making meaningful contributions to their communities.
While education remains important, he said, leadership, initiative and service also play critical roles in shaping society.
Throughout the discussion, participants repeatedly returned to a central theme raised during Joseph’s lecture, that of the need to nurture thinkers rather than simply train students to follow instructions.
Also read St Patrick’s Lecture Urges Montserrat to Raise Thinkers, Not Followers – Discover Montserrat
Joseph himself emphasised that curiosity is something children already possess.
“Our curiosity isn’t something you teach a child. It is something you protect,” he said.
For Thomas and several others in the room, protecting that curiosity is essential if Montserrat hopes to produce the innovators, leaders and creators who will shape the island’s future.
If the ideas raised during the lecture continue to generate discussion and action, participants suggested, they could help spark a broader national conversation about education and development.
And for Thomas, that conversation must include the very people who will inherit the decisions made today.
Young people, he said, must not only be included in the discussion but empowered to help lead it.
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