Outstanding performances despite challenges

By Michel Outridge

 HEADMISTRESS of Capoey Mission Primary School, Phulmattie Drikpaul, said the pupils of the school are academically inclined and have performed well at exams despite challenges.

She made the disclosure when the Pepperpot Magazine visited the picturesque community recently.

She reported that with the children, they can look out for success because, in the last Grade Six Assessment, students excelled and were awarded places at senior secondary schools in the region.

Drikpaul stated that results have proven to us that of the 14 students who entered, six were awarded senior secondary schools in the region and that is a plus for the school.
“It is a good gesture to tell the teachers that teamwork pays off and we can achieve so much, but our basic challenge is not having electricity at the school,” she said.
Drikpaul explained that after construction of the school three years ago, a solar-powered system was installed but due to some faulty connection with the inverter it damaged all the batteries.

“We had a problem where the inverter couldn’t handle the power to the batteries and caused the batteries to go flat; we got donations from one agency that gave us an inverter, but we need batteries now,” she said.

Drikpaul added that they need at least four batteries for eight large solar panels and four smaller ones for them to have electricity to the school building.

She related that with electricity they will be in a position to broaden their scope in terms of technology, internet learning and the possibility of having an ICT hub.

Drikpaul noted that without electricity their desktop computer, printer, fans and other electrical equipment are laid up at present.

The headmistress said their radio programme was suspended indefinitely because of their electricity woes, and both teachers and students are limited; some of them don’t know what is beyond the lake.

She stated that most teachers hardly go out of the village because it incurs a cost and they do so only when it is necessary, since many teachers are from the village.
“Their experience is limited because they don’t know what is beyond the lake when it comes to interacting and other cultural backgrounds, other than what is being taught at school. Right now we are having an issue with staff: we have to date seven teachers, one peace corps volunteer, four cooks and two cleaners,” Drikpaul said.

She, however, stated that Capoey Mission is a good place to work, since the children are open and willing to learn; the community is small and the people are easy to talk to, but stressed the need for teamwork with both parents and teachers.

Drikpaul told the Pepperpot Magazine that there is no need for after-school lessons, since they don’t have the resources, but they have an active remedial programme to assist slow learners.
“We have remedial lessons during the lunch period or after school, where the teachers identify the students’ weak areas and take half an hour to work with the children and also children who work along with other teachers. In all it is a nice community to work in and being small is manageable. Our greatest challenge is electricity and it is very hot here and the children need some relief,” she said.

Drikpaul told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has been stationed at the Capoey Mission Primary School from October 2018, for one year, and the experience so far has been good.
She stated that the community is not academically inclined, but the children are very willing to learn and they have a school-feeding programme; this started a year ago, but before that attendance at the school was at an all-time low.

In total, the headteacher disclosed they have 74 primary school students and 33 nursery school pupils, most of whom need help in phonics and mathematics in the concept areas to which they are not exposed.

“These children need exposure which will ultimately bring out the best in them, because they are quick learners,” she said.

Although the school has a small library, there is a need for an extended library with fun reading materials, in addition to the Ministry of Education textbooks.
Presently, Food For The Poor has embarked on a project to construct a kitchen in the compound of the school, which will boost their current school-feeding programme.
The project is about 80 percent completed and will house a kitchen for preparing students’ meals.