HEADTEACHER of Waramuri Primary School, Colin De LaCruz, has a dream. Before his retirement next eight years or so, he wants to make the school a “shining example” in Region One, especially in sports.

Perhaps it is because he knows the school’s potential, having looked at its past performance. “I see Waramuri Sports Ground as being one of the best we have in the Moruca sub-region if it is upgraded to standards; in terms of size and accommodation,” he shared with Pepperpot Magazine recently.

“We do a lot of sports at Waramuri. I think that the government or the ministry really needs to focus on sports at Waramuri,” he shared. At the moment, there is little to propel sports in the region. In fact, learners and others in sports have to purchase their own gear.

“We offer the Physical Education programme at the moment and Waramuri has been producing good performers in sports. A former student, Ricky Williams, went far and wide. He was a national athlete who represented the country at different events. He was rooted in this school and went very far in sports. There are others doing well in cricket. We produce other athletes who really outshine others at the national athletics championship. We produce girls at nationals, and so we have been doing well at sports in general,” De LaCruz pointed out.

The school is badly in need of cricket gear. Last year, Banks DIH donated some and the school was very thankful. A tennis table and other small equipment were also received from the Ministry of Education. This, though, is not enough. Protective gears, helmets, batting pads, and gloves, among other items, are also needed.

The school has also been doing well in football. “In 2018, that was the last time we had the regional under-16 football competition, and we were crowned the regional champion.”
The playground at the moment needs significant attention. “I don’t think the community can handle it on its own,” remarked De LaCruz.

Connectivity
Having been in the teaching profession since 1996, De LaCruz has been the headteacher at Waramuri Primary for the past eight years; the school has 175 pupils at the primary level and 240 at secondary. Prior to this, he was headteacher at St. Nicholas Primary in Manawarin Village.

“We have been performing fairly well both at the National Grade Six Assessment and CSEC. We are coming very close to marks that are in the top ten and students are able to do nine to 10 subjects at CSEC,” he related.
However, the challenges of textbook shortage and internet connectivity continue to plague students. “During the pandemic, it was hard. There was the worksheet distribution in place but no connectivity to reach out to the children. In my own opinion, I don’t think the worksheet was successful due to the distance factor.”

The issue of connectivity is also a challenge for teachers because there are those involved in online training who are finding it very difficult. There are also students at UG and other places. “The internet service is definitely a big challenge here not only at Waramuri but across the hinterland.” Students in the secondary department who need to do research and others on the GOAL programme also have a difficulty.

Misunderstanding
De LaCruz shared that from the inception, it was not his dream to become a teacher. He had really wanted to be in the medical field. “I started there and then accidentally got into teaching. I just tried it to see how it went,” he reflected.

He was working with the Vector Control Service at the Kumaka District Hospital and had a supervisor with whom he just could not get along. “We quarrelled each day and I decided to leave and get into teaching.”
Though hoping to be on the medic training programme in 1997, he moved across into the teaching profession. “I didn’t regret it because I came to like it. Something good came out of something negative.”