…President tells Bishops’ High School at 150th Anniversary celebrations
~gives school $1M donation to expand science education

By Naomi Parris
CELEBRATING their 150th Anniversary, the students, teachers and board of governors of the Bishops’ High School made sure to roll out their golden carpet as they welcomed another historic milestone on Thursday.

Commemorating the event, the school unveiled a plaque to mark the momentous occasion and held a prize-giving ceremony where his Excellency, President David Granger made a tangible donation of one million dollars to the school’s science department.

During his address, the Guyanese leader noted that the Bishops’ High School has come a long way since its establishment in 1870 as an all-girls school. “The Bishops’ High School is a pioneer in education particularly for girls; the schools 150th Anniversary is an occasion to look back with pride on its numerous accomplishments, it’s an opportunity also to look forward to the future,” he stated.

The Bishops’ High School, the President noted, had reshaped the face of education for girls, it had provided girls with a solid foundation of knowledge values and standards, and it has continued to provide quality education for both boys and girls over the past 45 years since the introduction of co-education.

The President added that the Bishops’ High School is part of a sorority which he refers to as the six sisters of secondary education. Queens College, St Roses, St. Stanislaus, the Bishops’ High, St. Joseph’s High and the Berbice High School are six sisters which are the most desirable destinations for all successful National Grade Six Examination (NGSA) students.

The school has earned a reputation and created a tradition of academic excellence where students are exposed to extracurricular activities which stimulate the social and cultural lifestyle of its students. Noting that the school has an exemplary reputation, the President said, “Bishops was always attractive because it always possessed an aura of gracefulness and social life and aura of decorum …the words of the school hymn, at least the last stanza, tells of the quality of life, the quality of loving and tenderness.”

The President noted that the school has survived for a century and a half because of its ability to adapt to the changing times. The school, as we know, he added, began as a small fee-paying institution with a cohort of only 26 students. It catered originally for the children of British Guiana’s elite in those days, in colonial times; government officials, managers of the sugar plantations and ministers of the church, mainly the Anglican church who were mainly of British descent.

An Education Nation
Meanwhile, underscoring that Guyana is currently entering a new era, as an education nation and a green state, the President stated that the public education system must be realigned to the needs of our rapidly changing country. “First of all, Guyana is in transition to becoming a green state, an education nation and it has now become a Petro-state; these transformation processes have far- reaching implications for the public education system because it’s the students who graduate from institutions like BHS who will purple these states,” he noted.

Petroleum production will boost economic growth creating opportunities for employment and generating increased revenues, social investment, especially in education. Guyana has embarked on a green path of development and the President of this country has all of the attributes which predispose it to be a green state, with more than 80% of it still covered by forest.

He alluded to the country’s diverse eco systems– habitats of some of the world’s rarest species of flora and fauna and also blessed with spectacular natural attractions. “Guyana is the net carbon sink, its forest absorbs more carbon than the countries activity generates, the green state will emphasize the protection of the environment, the preservation of the countries bio-diversity, the promotion of the generation of energy from renewable sources and the implementation of practical measures to ensure climate adaptation.”

Digital state
Guyana, the President added, is also developing into a digital state, with the government placing increased emphasis on the information and communication technology sector, which aims to eventually connect every household, every nieghbourhood, every community, every village, every municipality, every region and every government agency. “ICT will integrate the country completely, not only internally, but also with the Caribbean and the world at large.”

Great equalizer

With Guyana still fighting to address inequalities between the coastland and the hinterland and between urban and rural areas, the President said education is a great equalizer and gateway to greater economic opportunities that can help to lift people out of poverty.
Education, the President stated, is essential to ensuring that our citizens can benefit from the countries transformational processes, it is the principal means of producing a corps of highly trained citizens who will drive the agenda for a green state, a digital state and pursue the development of a Petro state…”

Appealing to the students present at the ceremony, the President urged them to take advantage of the opportunities that may present themselves with the emerging petroleum sector in Guyana and to aim high for the better development of themselves.