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guyanatimesgy.com
MonDAY, February 24, 2014
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ihil Sine Labore (Nothing is achieved without labour!) That’s the motto of the Tagore Memorial High School located at Number 63 Village, Corentyne, opposite the entrance to one of the largest Caribbean beaches. The school stands testimony to that motto as it has worked hard to get where it is today. Established on January 12, 1942 and named after Poet Rabindranauth Tagore of India, the school today boasts a student population of 780. Its first Principal was JR Lathchmansingh and the school’s population is dominated by girls who account for 447 of the total student body, while boys account for 332. They are managed by 39 teachers, three ancillary staff and four janitorial staff. The school has 25 classrooms, three laboratories, one library, one staffroom and a headteacher’s office which beautifully displays all of the school’s achievements. The catchment area spans from Black Bush Polder (BBP) to Crabwood Creek with students from BBP accounting for 15 per
beamed with pride at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) where the school secured 90 per cent passes in English Language and 76 per cent passes in mathematics and above 90 per cent passes in the other subjects areas. In 2012/2013 there was a decline in
A section of the Tagore Memorial High School
passes in English and mathematics. However, in the other subjects areas the school managed to remain successful with an average of 95 per cent passes overall. The school also produced two of the region’s top students namely Omadai Balram who secured 13 subjects including 10 Grade Ones and three Grade Twos and Vinay Punwa who secured 10 subjects inclusive of eight Grade Ones. One hundred and six students sat the examination in 2013 while 93 will be sitting it this year. “With [the] innovative methods we have put in place, we are hoping to increase the performance way above the previous, especially in English and mathematics... we already having extra lessons whereby the students would spend an extra hour working past CSEC papers and by utilising the Ministry Chairman of the Board of Governors of the school, of Education pilot project Charlie Ammar materials,” Ammar said. Besides education, the school also places emphacent of the study body. Thirteen subjects are sis on extracurricular activities as they feel offered in the sciences, business and litera- they are necessary for all-round developture. The school’s goal is to assist every child ment, especially discipline. “While being edto develop their fullest potential, not only ucated can land you a good job, you need academically but socially. other skills to be able to interact socially and During an interview with Berbice Times, be a well rounded individual, Over the years Chairman of the Board of Governors of the we have been participating in sports activischool, Charlie Ammar said over the past ties competing with schools from Number 43 few years the school has secured its place to Orealla”, Ammar outlined. among the top performing institutions in the In addition, the school also participates country. In the Year 2011, Tagore Memorial in chess competitions, debate, impromptu
A teacher checks the work of two of her students
speech and cricket and they also hope to participate in music competitions with the school’s steel pan that was recently donated by the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry. He added that during the assembly session, they would teach and instil values in the students so that when they leave school, they will able to face life in every possible way.
Incentive
Meanwhile, as part of its initiative to encourage students, the school awards each child that tops their class at the end of each term with US$25 and the best all round students also gets a stipend of US$10 donated by the said NGO. They have also given top performing teachers incentives. The chairman related that as a former student, his dream was to see the school among the top in the country. “In 1957 at the age of 12, as a barefoot boy going to school, I did not know what the future held for me, however, after spending five years at Tagore and after successfully passing my GCE exams, I started as a teacher at the New Market Anglican School... it was Tagore that gave me the foundation, I then moved on to the University of Guyana in 1965. In 1976 I was the principal at the Central Corentyne Secondary. In 1983 I migrated to the United States where I taught in a Junior High in New York”. “Tagore School gave me that opportunity,” he noted. He is urging youth to take a serious approach to education; to use it as a stepping stone to break the cycle of poverty so that you can move on with your life. “The PTA relationship with the board and the administration is amicable, there is a lot of consultation where we bond and plan to execute plans.” He said he would like to see more active sport programmes in the school,
and as such, he will be asking the school board which has been very supportive for a full time Physical Education/Sport master as well as a visual arts teacher. Ammar noted even though the school has an active library, more books are needed as they want to introduce English Literature to the curriculum. At present, the school has managed to raise some funds locally to purchase some of the books, however, more is needed. In addition, the school boasts one of the best canteens in the country where you can find pretty much anything you are looking for – from your hygienic needs or stationary items, right down to mouth watering pickled mangoes, gooseberries and golden apples. Reflecting on the history of the school, Ammar related that in the early days, the student population was very small and when the school began receiving government aid, its enrolment started to grow. Ammar – himself a former student – said during his time in 1957, the school fee was $12 per term, it was an old single building. “From then to now, there has been a dramatic transformation in the physical outlook of the Tagore School. Today it is now housed in a state-ofthe-art building equipped with all necessary amenities for modern day learning.” He stated that in 1952, the school was merged with the Oriental High School in Number 60 Village, since not much was happening at the time. The school in 1957 solicited the leadership of Principal Bharat Chariya who headed the school successfully. Since then, Tagore Memorial High has gone through several principals until today. The current acting Principal is Miss Odetta Johnson and the acting Deputy is Rajkumar Ramjiewan.