Mile Gully High gets Science Laboratory

Science students at Mile Gully High in Manchester now have a laboratory equipment to help them to adequately carry out the practical tasks required to complete their Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) syllabus, as well as general curriculum.
At the official opening of the Integrated Science laboratory at the school on Thursday, April 22, Acting Principal, Mr. John Clarke, said the new lab, built with assistance from the Mutual Building Societies Foundation (MSBF), and equipment donated by Food for the Poor, will go a far way in strengthening the school’s performance in science subjects.
“We have been seeing improvements in the sciences although the grades are not where we want them to be. But we expect that their (students) performance will improve now that we have a laboratory,” he said.
In his remarks, Programme Manager at the MBSF, Mr. Llewelyn Bailey, said he was impressed at the level of dedication shown by the administration, the staff and the student body, to the implementation and success of the MSBF programme. He said the school has set a pace for other schools to emulate, to become a centre of excellence.
“We intend to make them (upgraded high schools) functional and reduce the degree of disadvantage that the students in these schools face. This requires partnership, and we thank Food for the Poor for their assistance, and invite other corporate entities to partner with us to improve the delivery of education in our schools,” Mr. Bailey stated.
Describing the lab as good stakeholder collaboration, Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Ms. Nordia Birthwright-Hill, said “this is an excellent example of the profound impact of collaboration with the school community, the private sector and the Ministry of Education. This lab will enhance the learning of science here at Mile Gully High, and science must apply to the student’s everyday life, the passing of examinations, and gaining a profession in science,” she emphasised.
Science student at Mile Gully High, Rashada White stated that, “we can learn much better, we won’t only see the experiment in our text books, but now we can prove things for ourselves.
“I feel excited about it. it will allow students to enhance their learning capacity. Teachers won’t have to do a lot of writing on the boards, they can now use the technology to achieve results,” said another student, Kimai Williams.
Mile Gully High is one of six upgraded high schools benefiting from the Centres of Excellence programme established by the MBSF. The programme seeks to boost performance in the sciences by ensuring, among other things, that all six schools have functioning Integrated Science labs.