Dear Editor,
Firstly, let me say that I have always liked and admired Minister Priya Manickchand, and I still do. However, as with most things in life, you cannot always agree on everything. One such is her views on the President’s College.
I attended President’s College and it holds a special part in my heart for many reasons. My mind runs back to the years that I was a student at the Suddie Primary School on the Essequibo Coast, Region 2. It had always been my dream to attend President’s College and this was no secret to those who knew me. Many would recall that I often said, “If I don’t get President’s College, I shall not be going to any school.” I believed this to be true and I don’t think anyone could have persuaded me to go to any other school. Fortunately after writing the SSEE I was able to obtain a spot at President’s College – the happiest day of my life.
It is my belief that the school that I loved, even before ever seeing it, is been treated in a way that is unacceptable. I may not know all the reasons for how some things happen at the school, but I do believe that things can definitely be better. In an Article in KN indicated that President’s College is not functioning in the capacity it was designed to do since “it is not meeting the needs of our children best.” My questions are, why is it not meeting the needs of our children? Why is not functioning in the capacity it was designed for? President’s College was designed to be the top secondary in Guyana, not the top secondary school on the East Coast of Demerara, as the Minister described it.
It is my opinion that given the constraints that President’s College faces the school is still performing pretty well. So the question is, if it were given the needed resources and attention, what would the results be?
President’s College is the only school of its kind, and was designed to cater for the top students of the country, housing the students on site as well as the teachers. The environment that is President’s College cannot be found at any other school in Guyana. In 2008 I wrote a letter to KN which said that students who attended President’s College were educated widely, which they would not be if they attended another school. They were trained to be well rounded individuals, not only academically, but psychologically and socially. Living at the institution was an advantage to students, parents and teachers, and from living among their colleagues, the students developed a sense of responsibility while the interaction helped to develop their inter-personal communication skills. They were also not affected by the stress due to travelling to and from school every day, and they benefited from an excellent curriculum, which did not require extra classes.
The students also benefited from the extended study period which is scheduled Monday through Thursday, from 7pm to 8.30pm. There were also dedicated teachers, who not only taught, but ensured that the students understood. The students also had access to the school library and the internet to do research.
The above mentioned are just a subset of reasons as to why President’s College is different and provides for a greater cause. I started President’s College in 2001, wrote the CSEC examinations in 2006, and GCE and CAPE in 2007 and 2008. Additionally, owing to the lack of teachers, (which is a problem that shouldn’t happen, I am sure the Minister would agree) I returned to the school as a part-time teacher in 2008, 2009 and again in 2011-12. I also know a lot of past students dating back to the first batch, and I am quite sure they would agree that we have never seen an empty bed, an empty bench or desk in the classroom or even a vacant seat in the auditorium, popularly known as the D’Hall. So I find it very strange that the Minister is trying to solve a “population issue.”
Also, the Minister spoke about students staying in their own communities because regional schools were performing just as well, namely the Anna Regina Secondary School. If this is the case then should it not be the work of the Ministry of Education to work on improving the other regional schools, instead of turning President’s College into a ‘saviour school’? Or instead of changing the policy of President’s College, we could construct dormitories at other locations in the city and allow the students to access education from various other schools so that way the load would be shared among the top secondary schools of Guyana. I do recall that a percentage of the students at President College were from the hinterland and were issued with scholarships. This allowed them the chance to be educated by good teachers alongside some of the best performers in Guyana.
The condition President’s College is in and the way it is been treated hurt me, and I am sure they hurt all past and present students and teachers or anyone who has had an interest in the school. My point here is that one should not subtract elements of an equation and expect that the result would be different. Give President’s College the things that are needed and let it function as it was designed to do and I am sure that we will be seeing a different picture. History will show that when the changes to policy began, so did the results of the school. It is simple: do not try to fix something that is not broken.
I am sure the Minister means well and only wants to see the educational system in Guyana improve, and that as many students as possible are able to access and benefit from it. As such, I am also sure that she is open to suggestions that can better same, whether it is with respect to President’s College or any other educational institution. I am available and always will be, to share my humble views with the hope of improving and returning President’s College to the glory it was once known for.
Yours faithfully,
Shane Pearce
