Georgetown: Several hundred parents, students and educators gathered at the Rosignol Secondary School on Tuesday to witness the official upgrade of the facility to A-List Status.
Delivering the feature address to a massive crowd, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand said every coastal region in Guyana has A-List schools except Region 5. This meant that students from the Region had to traverse to other regions in order to access a quality of education to match their aptitude. This, she pointed out, was not the best circumstance for the parents, children and community of Region 5, and the Ministry of Education set about to change these circumstances.
“Guyana, under the PPP/C Government has achieved Universal Primary Education. This means that every child of primary age can access an education. Because of this monumental feat our country has attained Millennium Development Goal Number 2 and is celebrated across the world for this achievement. This accomplishment came about because the PPP/C places a huge premium on education recognising it as an important tool in poverty alleviation. Many strategic policies, plans, programs and calculated spending in the sector has brought about this wonderful achievement. The Government has made it clear that in this term in office, it intends to achieve Universal Secondary Education,” the Minister said.
She said the upgrade to the facility now provides students with greater opportunity and more options to excel, and as such, the performance of the school is expected to significantly improve within a few years. To this statement one student loudly concurred with the minister’s expectations, which was met with a resounding round of applause.
The minister also reminded parents of the critical role they play in their children’s development. She pointed out that paying attention and providing support to their children did not require money or a higher level of education, but rather, a genuine commitment and dedication to ensuring their children excel.
The well-attended ceremony was lively as well as informative and provided a glimpse of what the expectations of the students
themselves are. This was expertly represented by a skit in which several students provided a futuristic look at the careers and life achievements they expect to have when they become adults, having benefited from the higher quality of education now available at the school.
A-List schools are categorized based on their performance at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).
Students who would have missed placement at the National or Senior Secondary Schools by a few marks earn placement at A-List schools. These schools are equipped to accommodate and bring out the best academic and extra- curricular performances from its students. Over the last few years some of the A-List Secondary Schools and the students who attend those schools have been performing as well as and, even better than, some of the Senior Secondary Schools. For example in 2012, the student who topped the Caribbean at CSEC attended the Abram Zuille Secondary School in Essequibo and in 2013 the student who topped the Caribbean at CSEC attended the Anna Regina Secondary School. Anna Regina Secondary also received the best performance prize in the Caribbean for Technical Vocational Education. These schools are both A-List schools.
What was done to create a List A School at Rosignol Secondary?
Infrastructure – The Extension – A block was constructed to accommodate 2 science laboratories and the old laboratories were converted into 5 additional classrooms.
Rehabilitation – major rehabilitation works, inclusive of painting and electrical works, were also done.
Laboratories – Science – 2 labs that are well equipped with furniture and materials (chemicals, tools, equipment, resources) now allow the school to offer the separate sciences.
Information Technology – 21 additional computers were installed.
Home Economics – Adequate materials and equipment were purchased.
Industrial Technology – The labs were rehabilitated, painted, electrical works improved and now fully equipped with furniture and materials
Agricultural Science –Space was created to establish a laboratory and adequate materials are provided.
Sport and Physical Education – A tarmac was built to facilitate volleyball and football. Sport gears and materials were purchased and given to the school.
Library -The Library was rehabilitated, painted and stocked with additional books
Textbooks
Grades 10 & 11 – Each child has the recommended text in the following 15 subjects – Mathematics, English A, English B, Social Studies,
Integrated Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Food and Nutrition, Home Economics Management, Clothing & Textiles, Principles Of Accounts, Principles Of Business, Office Administration and Economics.
There are class sets for the following 4 subjects – Physical Education, Agricultural Science, History and Geography.
Grades 7 to 9 – Each child has the recommended text for English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
There are class sets for the following subjects – Agricultural Science, Home Economics and Spanish
Teachers – The school has 35 teachers of which 18 are trained, 7 of which are graduates.
Subjects currently offered
During the last school year Rosignol Secondary School offered 19 subjects – Chemistry, integrated Science, Human & Social Biology, Agricultural Science (Double Award), Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Office Administration, EDPM, Information Technology, Clothing & Textile, Food and Nutrition, Home Ec. Management, Geography, Social Studies, Caribbean History, Physical Education, English A, English B, Mathematics
Rosignol Secondary is now offering an additional 6 subjects. – Biology, Physics, Economics, Building Technology (Woods), Technical Drawing & Spanish, bringing the number of subjects offered to a total of 25 subjects. Very soon, Rosignol Secondary will offer Mechanical Engineering Technology and Visual Arts.
More than 45 million dollars was expended on the Rosignol Secondary School on text books, chemical and lab equipment, physical rehabilitation works, computers, furniture etc. to bring it up to the level of a List A school.
You must be logged in to post a comment.