Education Minister says Non-Traditional High Schools Doing Well

Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, says that non-traditional high schools continue to do well, with many surpassing the achievements of traditional institutions.

Rev. Thwaites, who was addressing the annual prize giving ceremony of the Holland High School in Trelawny on Tuesday, November 26, said that the recent Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) results indicates that Holland, and other such institutions, “did exceptionally well and better than many others that have been in existence for hundreds of years”.

“I can say that many of the newer schools, with good leadership, with strong boards and with supportive parents and good teachers, are doing as well as anywhere else,” he informed.

“I can’t tell you how elated I was, earlier this week, when a young man from a non-traditional high school, just like yours, was qualified and won the Rhodes Scholarship.  And so, the sky is the limit as far as you are concerned, and there is no reason why any of you cannot equal that,” he stated.

The Minister, in the meantime, urged the students to be wise in choosing a career path, noting that technical and vocational subjects are important for the job market.

“The Ministry of Education has stipulated that by 2016/2017, every grade 11 student must graduate with at least one marketable skill, which is geared to enable you to set up your own work and also to work with others.  This is not a question of doing technical subjects versus academic subjects; you have to have both,” he pointed out.

Approximately 1,000 students of the school, located in Martha Brae, were presented with trophies, gifts and certificates, for outstanding performances in academics, sports and extra-curricular activities, among other areas.

The Principal’s Trophy went to Santana Gayle, while the top academic performers were Shaneeka Powell and Tasheena Burrell. Peter Bernard and Danique Anderson received the sportsman and sportswoman of the year trophies, respectively.