Former Member of Parliament for St. John’s City East Basil Peters died last Saturday evening at the age of 82 in New York City just three weeks away from his 83rd birthday.
Peters is survived by his wife of 53 years, Yolanda Peters, his son Adrian Peters, his brother Clement “Clem” Peters and sisters Yvonne Peters-Browne, Laurel Joseph-Matthew and Robertine Peters.
The former MP was a member of the Progressive Labour Movement (PLM) and also sat as a member of the Sir George Walter cabinet as the Minister of Education, Health, and Culture from 1971 – 1976.
Former Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer remembers both his time as a student and subsequently a colleague of former MP Basil Peters.
“He was deep,” Spencer recalled, “especially as it related to the education agenda.”
“I would want to say that, in my view, if not the best, he was certainly one of the best education ministers that this country has seen up til now.”
Former PM Spencer added that “Basil was very transformative in his views. As a matter of fact, he was about delivery of the highest and best form of secondary education throughout the country.”
Spencer credits Peters with the establishment of, “three secondary schools,” in what he describes as, “critical areas of the country – one in Pares Village, the Ottos Comprehensive School and Jennings Secondary School.”
Spencer also cited other areas of Peters’ focus such as teacher education; the improvement of the school plants at all levels; and the implementation of the non-academic modes of education into the schools’ curriculum.
Given all of Peters’ political achievements, his wife still regards contributions to the education of Antigua and Barbuda as an even greater triumph. Peters was the principal at the Princess Margaret School in the early 1960s.
“When they started to turn PM from a primary to secondary school,” Yolanda recalled, “there were not very many teachers at the time, and Basil took on the task of the teaching of quite a lot of the subjects like English, History, French and Biology, to fill the void.”
“As a result, he was always reading. He never felt that a student should ask a question he couldn’t answer. By the middle of the day, for instance, he would have read every printed newspaper in Antigua.”
Peters also did much in his personal persona in the area of culture. He headed a mas troupe that won band of the year in 1961 (Bedouins) and in 1964 (Golden Age of the Aztecs).
After the PLM lost power in 1976, Yolanda Peters describes her husband’s time immediately after politics as a “difficult one”.
“The Labour Party was very vindictive,” she explained.
“They wanted to punish and victimize all of the PLM members who took power away from them for five years and they made finding work and working in Antigua very hard on him.”
As such, the former MP made a decision to migrate to New York City where he took up teaching once again and did so up until he died.
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“The former MP was a member of the Progressive Labour Movement (PLM) and also sat as a member of the Sir George Walker cabinet as the Minister of Education, Health, and Culture from 1971 – 1976″….correction…Sir George Walter.
Thank you. Edited.
If ever Colonel Sanders had a long lost negro twin brother, this is him.
Condolences to his loved ones.
One of the many bright minds who had to leave because of how vindictive the ALP politicians were. Over 28 years, these guys have stiffled the development of this country.
Condolences to the family of Basil Peters. He made an immense contribution to this country. May his soul rest in peace.
Thanks for your dedication and commitment to education in Antigua and Barbuda. Condolences to your family and loved ones.
NO ONE REALLY DIES, OUR SPIRIT LIVES ON. THE QUESTION IS WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE
Leonard “Tim” Hector wrote in The Outlet, Oct9,1998, on. ..Development Perspective,this:”Basil Peter, former Minister of Education (1971-1976)…I do not hesitate to say that he is by far and away Antigua and Barbuda’s leading education reformer.Mr Basil Peter, a distinguished Antiguan by achievement (education &culture) concentrated upon, what I call super-structural reforms.He was for co-education and comprehensive education, launching a needed assault on the English public school liberal arts education.Five years is a very short time in which to expand schools,the number of schools,and at the same time bring an outdated education system into the technological age.Only after night of revolution,to borrow a famous phrase,is such thorough-going change possible. //The Basil Peters reforms for all their necessary and important increase in quantity and the establishment of free secondary co-ed and comprehensive education still emphasied subjects and not skills and therefore did not lay the basis for new production relations.”I say Amen.Now let us make the commitment to transform our educational system by putting the emphasis on scientific skills in this twenty-first century.And when we name and rename our educational institutions,let us never forget to honor Basil A Peters for his invaluable contribution.Thanks and farewell,my brother!
Basil Peters devoted his time to education, but there were great minds in Antigua. Nobody credits Malcom DeFreitus and Irving Samuel for their educational achievements. Those men should get the credits they deserve.
Basil Peters was my headmaster just as Malcolm DeFreitus and Irving Samuel. To me they were much better than Basil Peters.
May Basil Peters rest in peace!
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