Georgetown: Although faced with a number of challenges, the Abram Zuil Secondary School on the Essequibo Coast, like a number of other schools across the country, has been able to introduce innovative means to help derive notable success in its science stream.
Speaking to Trakker News recently Head of the School’s Science Department, Jerome Rampersaud, lamented the fact that the school has been having some difficulty in receiving chemicals to conduct its Chemistry Programme. “This has been one of our most immediate needs. I’d like to have chemicals…In addition to that our school has been really lacking some basic equipment for labs….” he disclosed.
More than 50 students from both the fourth and fifth forms of the school are expected to complete laboratory sessions, Rampersaud 
said even as he revealed that teaching Science without the required materials can prove to be a very challenging task.
However, despite the evident challenges, the Head of the Science Department has adopted what some have described as an innovative mode. According to him innovation has seen the school utilizing a kerosene stove for a heat source. However, this has not been utilized with some degree of difficulty whereby some students are forced to exit the classroom because of the impact of excessive smoke. “Some students eyes are affected with the smoke…we have to sacrifice comfort for success. In addition the laboratory is very hot; although we have ceiling fans we do not have air conditioning so it is a great challenge to us teaching labs.”
“It is a difficult job but we have extremely skilled teachers who are able, one way or another, to get around the challenges. I as a chemistry teacher myself have been able to deal with this situation,” the teacher boasted.
He pointed out that the Department’s passion for success is driven by its self-impose vision “Engraving in the learners’ minds and hearts their love for the scientific world by creating an atmosphere conducive to scientific research.” However, Rampersaud lamented that the existing facilities does not allow for the vision to be implemented at the anticipated pace. He is of the firm belief that with the addition of a modern laboratory the school will be able to realize its vision.
The school, according to Rampersaud has been doing well in the Sciences, adding that this year for the first time ever in the history of the school “we had the first batch of physic students writing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination, the first batch of students wrote Chemistry two years ago at the CSEC level and we got two distinctions …generally we have been doing really well in the science streams despite the constraints.”
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, has noted that in order to improve the school’s past rate efforts are being made to ensure that this school as well as other schools across the country can improve their performances. She alluded to the ministry's plan to ensure that there is universal secondary education where all public education facilities are conducive to learning.
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