The Guyana Conference of Seventh Day Adventists yesterday officially opened its first school named The Georgetown Seventh Day Adventist Academy.
The school which currently houses Nursery levels one and two and primary grade one is located in D’Urban Backlands directly opposite the Davis Memorial Hospital. It opened with 24 students, three teachers and a headmistress.
According to the conference President, Richard James the project began in March 2016 and costs about $100M. Funding for the school came through private donors and various volunteer groups.
“Well the project started in March 2016 when we received a visit from the president of Maranatha Volunteers International, he came and wanted to see the lands that we had wanted to build the churches, but when he came and he discovered a big conference like this with over 60,000 members, he said no we need to give priority to the construction of a school,” said James.
Director of Education at the Guyana Conference of Seventh Day Adventist, Barbara Savory stated that the academy has a high degree of academic offerings. Savory stated that the academy will give the students the kind of rounded education that will help them to be good, moral human beings. “I think that is what we offer that is so different from the regular classroom, we believe in integrating faith and learning and so as the child is propelled to academic excellence the child is also taught that life requires us to serve not only mankind but God”, said Savory. She later said that while academics is the only focus at other institutions, their focus will also be on teaching children to love and respect each other.
Savory added that the curriculum features Music, Gardening, Art and Physical Education.
“More recently our leaders are saying look, we must be in a position to feed ourselves, so even as they excel intellectually they will also learn to do those practical things that will give them an edge in every-day living.”
In his feature address, Dr Hilary Bowman told the gathering that the Georgetown SDA Academy must be the catalyst for growth in Adventist education in Guyana. Browman stated that Adventist schools were designed to prepare young people for extraordinary service in the Lord’s work in the communities. “Seventh Day Adventist education cannot and must not be the same as that which is offered in other schools, I’m sounding the alarm that whatever you do here it must not be the same!” Bowman exclaimed.
“The Georgetown SDA Academy cannot just be another school, if it is going to be the same school then we don’t need it, the government is doing that they can do it, we must be different, our curriculum must be different and our main textbook must be the Bible and the entire curriculum must be Bible based.” Browman then added that the reason for the Adventist school is to restore in our students the image of God.”
Dr Bowman stated that they will be striving for academic excellence in a spiritually charged environment.
