A new and innovative type of school was born

VICTORIA can be considered a village on the move, in a constantly changing environment; one in which the village seems to be ever bursting at its seams – growing wider and further to the north and south.

In such a setting, Desmond Saul told the Pepperpot Magazine that he felt the “call” to return to his home village to serve. This service, he said, was as a missionary through the Brethren Church. He said that he came as a missionary with a difference, one in which he would not just preach the gospel, but with a burning desire to help bring positive change to the lives of people within his community, as well as in other communities.

He said that one of his contributions was by means of establishing a school – The Foundation of Real Christian Education, which would serve the community through providing life skills as an essential part of helping both the young and not so young (children and parents) to meet some of the challenges of everyday life, coupled with the Christian faith.

The courses being offered on the programme are Christian classes, English Language, Mathematics, Information Technology, Sewing, Home Economics, Welding, Motor Mechanics, Electrical Installations, and Agriculture. According to Saul, the attendance on the programme is 80 per cent males to 20 per cent females.

“Yes, there are far more men than women – boys to girls- on the programme, and while we would always love to have the ladies trained in the various courses, we feel that it is a good thing to have the men in attendance in large numbers. It says something important and we are happy for this,” Saul stated.

He explained that the school has been aided by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), the Ministry of Communities recently and in the early days, by the Food for the Poor organisation and the Canadian High Commission (CIDA). The BIT, he said, has a programme where they give stipends to students, which he feels can be revisited for more applicability.

The school has been in existence for the past 15 years, having spent the first 10 years at the GRECO building in the village. Saul said that the school eventually moved to the building they are currently occupying, five years ago, after he built it with his own gratuity money. “Some of my Christian brethren have supported me in this endeavour, as have also some of my personal friends and my extended family who have contributed in a meaningful way to the operation of the school,” he said.

He added that God prepared him well for the role he has taken on; that his exposure as an Engineer and Professional Project Manager with the Guyana Telecommunication Corporation and Northern Telecom for many years; his tertiary and other training, both nationally and internationally, as well as his functions outside of Guyana have properly equipped him to not only build the school but effectively run it. He further explained that his plan is to run this school somewhat as a pilot school, with the hope that if it does succeed then the model can be replicated in other communities.

“Every Friday morning we have a session in the classroom that is called ‘Civic Responsibility’, in which I cover many topics relevant to daily living. I feel that the young people and even their parents need to be equipped to handle the various changes taking place in the world today. Many are sleep-walking through life,” he said.

This, he posited, should correspond with the transformation in technology, which he viewed as impacting on education, the workplace, the home and even on community life. He added that for the young people to be able to cope with the increasing pace and change of modern life, they ought to acquire new life skills of all sorts.

“Our young people need not only the development of life skills, but their education needs to equip them to think through and develop ways of solving problems; recognising the impact of their actions and should teach them to take responsibility for what they do rather than blame others,” Saul said.

In the case of The Foundation of Real Christian Education, it is hoped that attendees will be able to build a high level of confidence in both the spoken skills, as well as for group cooperation and collaboration.

Additionally, it is expected that students will acquire the ability to self-manage, solve problems and understand the business and community environment outside the classroom; the ability to work well within and outside of a team; the potential to lead and influence others; and also the ability to develop a greater sense of self-awareness and appreciation for others – not only within their community but in every other aspect of relationship with others.

Meanwhile, Councillor Carlotta DeJesus, expressed much appreciation for the work being done by The Foundation of Real Christian Education. She told the Pepperpot Magazine that Saul has been showing tremendous commitment to the work of the school and that it is obvious that he intends well, not only for the school but also the people he has been constantly trying to reach through the various programmes.

However, she expressed some concerns about the level of attendance from villagers and hope that the attendance level will rise significantly in the near future for the benefit of the people, as well as the community and by extension the nation at large.