–pledges $1M towards ICT as Berbice High celebrates centenary

By Jeune Bailey-VanKeric
BERBICE High School students were yesterday urged to adhere to tradition but embrace change, if they want to be able to compete on the global market.The exhortation came from President David Granger, who was on hand to help celebrate the school’s turning 100.

The event, which was punctuated by musical renditions by the school’s steel orchestra, culminated six days of activities which saw scores of persons from the school’s alumni turning up, day after day, at the junction of North and Princess Elizabeth Roads in New Amsterdam to get in on the action.

Activities over the six days ranged from a welcome reception, exhibition, cultural extravaganza and fair, a day of sporting activities, a Centenary Ball, an inter-faith service, and an excursion.

Tasked with delivering the feature address, President Granger, in addition to announcing the donation of G$1B towards the school’s information technology laboratory, urged students present at the function to be proud of their institution, and to aspire to follow in the footsteps of those who would have gone before them and made their mark on the world.

He also urged that they adhere to the school’s rules, so as to ensure that indiscipline does not erode the foundation which was laid by their predecessors.

TIME FOR CHANGE
He, however, cautioned that with the century-old institution having unlocked doors that were once closed to the poor, it must now transform itself and embrace the concept of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), which is all the rage these days and is the driver of global competitiveness.

With STEM being the key to innovation and transformation, the President said, Guyana’s capacity to compete in a global market will now rely more and more on our ability to be innovative, which in turn requires a greater emphasis on education.

As Education Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine observed when he took to the podium, whenever a child passes 20 or so subjects, he (the minister) asks himself two questions, the first of which is: “What kind of subjects are these?” The other, he said, is: “What manner of child are we raising?”

As he went on to say, “For me, education is about educating the whole child. Examinations are important, yes, and I am very happy they are doing so well; but I believe that, at school, we must give great emphasis to sport and to music…

“For us to educate the whole child, we must bring back the things we used to have; there is no reason why we should not have choirs in all the schools.
Further, we have to deal with the issue of discipline, and we have aborted corporal punishment…”

Current Principal, Ms. Tracy Helligar, would later pick up on what the minister said in terms of “educating the whole child,” saying that the emphasis at BHS is on whole-person development of each child, rather than only focusing on academic achievement.
And the upshot of taking this approach to education, she said, has seen Berbice High emerge as the top school in Region Six, moving up the national education ladder from seventh last year to fifth this year, with an 89.52% pass in five or more subjects at Grades One to Three.

THE HISTORY
It was also revealed through Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh, a past pupil, that Berbice High School evolved through the willingness of the likes of the Rev. J.A. Scrimgeour, who availed the downstairs of his manse to house the school; and Mr. C.A. Pugsley, who was tasked with laying the foundation of the instructional programme for the nine boys who were enrolled as its first pupils on September 5, 1916.

Fifty years on, after denominational control in 1966, management of the school, which by then boasted 741 pupils on roll, was handed over to the government of the day.

The aim of the school back then, which was birthed through the courageous venture of the British Guiana Mission of the Canadian Presbyterian Church, Dr. Singh recalled, was to prepare boys for the important roles in life: which were to seek after truth and righteousness, and build character worthy of emulation by others.

Today the school is one of the foremost in East Berbice-Corentyne, which has 17 secondary schools, in that it is amongst the three that have attained the status of ‘A’ Grade.

BEST OF THE BEST
It has also been labelled the best secondary school in the region following the June 2016 CSEC examinations, and amongst the leading secondary schools as a result of the pass rate. Two of its students were listed as being amongst the country’s top performers.

Berbice High School was founded with the express purpose of preparing students for life. It has produced Guyanese in all walks of life, among them diplomats, engineers, lawyers, doctors, educators and sportsmen.
The school has committed itself to high moral standards, and the embracing of school values is emphasised in the building of character.

Amongst distinguished guests at yesterday’s ceremony were Ministers Carl Greenidge, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, Nicollette Henry and Amna Ally; Regional Chairman David Armogan; Member of Parliament Mr. Charrandas Persaud; Mr Norman Semple from the Class of 1942; Dr Grantley Waldron, and members of the centenary committee; Alumni of Berbice High School, Regional Education Officer Ms Volika Jaikishun; and Deputy Mayor Ms Winifred Haywood.
A message was read from Guyanese diplomat Dr Shirdath Ramphal.