The Ministry of Education marked the start of the new school year on Wednesday with its annual Service of Thanksgiving, held at the St. John’s Pentecostal Church House of Restoration.

The ceremony, attended by Governor General Sir Rodney Williams, brought together thousands of students, teachers, parents, and ministry officials. Students from schools across the country played leading roles in the programme, conducting the service, reading scripture, blessing the offering, and delivering the message.

Education Minister Daryll Matthew, the only adult speaker, used the occasion to stress the role of education in shaping not just individuals but the nation itself.

“Education is that place where we mold character in our young people and effectively the character of the nation; because a country is a manifestation of the character of the people within it,” he said.

Quoting from Proverbs, “Train up a child in the way it should grow and when he grows up he would not depart from it,” Matthew urged educators, parents, and stakeholders to embrace their responsibility with diligence and sacrifice, guided by God.

He thanked teachers for their dedication, parents and guardians for their sacrifices, and support staff — from principals to janitors — for keeping the education system functioning.

The keynote message came from Ajani Edwards, a student of the Dr. Alister Francis Campus of the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies, highlighting the central role of youth in the life of the nation’s schools.