THE CHRISTIANBURG Wismar (Multilateral) Secondary School in Linden has not only been making headlines in being the consecutive champions of the Digicel School’s Football Competition but has been performing well academically over the past few years under the stewardship of well-known educator Cleveland Thomas. Thomas who had also made headlines a few years ago for refusing to follow the ‘no child left behind policy’, explained that he is happy with the progress the school has made compared to previous years and has accredited his hard working teachers and parents for joining the team in lifting the standard of the multilateral school.

For the first time last year, the school copped seven spots in the Region’s top 10 for Caribbean Secondary Examination Council. This year, though it only managed to cop two spots, however, the overall pass rate has increased from 62% to 67%. Thomas accredited several factors to this great achievement. He said that the school had managed to extend its curriculum – Spanish, Economics, Theatre Arts and Physics. The school has also successfully earned the confidence of the community by setting a high standard for discipline. “We have really worked hard on making sure our children understand the basic function/functions of students in an institution like a school, we have also tried to let our teachers understand their function. We don’t operate loosely here, we operate as a team where each individual has his/ her role to play,” Thomas highlighted. Though he expects greater support from parents, those who do give, he said, “have really latched on to the school.” The teachers are also very dedicated and determined for success working beyond the call of duty and reiterate to the students that they can compete with the best in the region and in extension the country. “We do a lot of work on building self-esteem and all of those things come together in building success but most importantly we are very careful not to send the wrong message to the children as children learn what they see,” he stressed.

NO REGRETS
Thomas said that he has no regrets what so ever not following the ‘no child left behind policy’, though he is not against the principle behind it. He however was against automatic promotion with no effort and that should not be. Thomas said that the school has implemented alternative measures to have children be promoted but they must put forth effort. This he revealed has seen moderate successes. “This thing is about effort, you cannot give them a pass and they failed, the human mind once given something like that will run with it…..once I am here I cannot embrace a child getting 32% and going over like that.”
He revealed that a child needs a projected grade 3 marks to be awarded the school after writing the Grade 6 assessment and a lot of the children enter the school with marks a little over 300 so it indeed an accomplishment to have 67% passes at grades 1-3.

Not all Books
The school places priority on extracurricular activities as the intension is to mold a well rounded child and not only an academically inclined one. “The idea is when we present our graduating class to the world of work we must not short change the world of work by just giving them somebody with 7,8,9 subjects,” Thomas argued adding that they must learn to function in all capacities. “They must be able to appreciate good music, good drama, good style, so we are working on a project for a finished product.”
The school will also be pushing to be given 6th form status but focus will be given to vocational subjects thus catering for technically inclined students. “It must cater for those boys and girls who would want to get into the technological field and that is why we have really tried to maintain the technological slant of the school.”
The Head Master however is not pleased with the physical condition of the school as during the 41 years of its existence, there has been little maintenance. The students and teachers are forced to perform under conditions that are not conducive. “I am not satisfied with what is going on here…..i don’t think this is the way an institution of learning should be,” he contented. .
Thomas is however satisfied that he has returned to the very school he attended as principal and to witness the great turnaround of the school. “To come back and be the Principal not just sit around as Principal but to see things happen for me that is so nice and I give praise to Yah Weh.”