On October 27, 2021, the School of Education and Humanities resuscitated its Research Forum
which was initially launched in November 2016. The forum was conceptualised to serve as an
opportunity for faculty to share their research interests with the wider university, through individual
and collaborative projects. The forum also intends to provide student researchers a space to
showcase their work.
The inaugural virtual iteration of the Research Forum was delivered by Dr. Terencia Joseph whose
presentation was titled A Vulgar and Corrupt Dialect: Official Approaches to Eliminating Kwéyòl
among Primary School-aged Children, St. Lucia, 1890-1920. It examined the attitudes of French
Creole-speakers and colonial officials towards French Creole language/patois usage, strategies
applied by the state to stamp out the use of the language, and the impact of those strategies over a
short thirty-year period. The research relied primarily on archival records. This forum was timely as
October is designated International Creole Day by the United Nations Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The School of Education and Humanities envisions a robust and regular schedule in the upcoming
semester, with forums slated for January and April 2022. The EdHum Forum is facilitated by Dr.
Terencia Joseph, Ms. Meredith Montrichard and Dr. Fiona Rajkumar.
