Students Urged to Make Use of Academic Opportunities

Principal of Garvey Maceo High School in Clarendon, Valda Gayle, is urging students to make use of the academic opportunities now available to adequately prepare for the future.
“Students, who are not working as hard as they ought, I would say to them that they are facing a very difficult future. While they are in school here, they might not understand the dynamics of the outer society, but at this time, I am entreating them that they need to start deliberately building a good academic record, so that when they go out there they will have what it needs to have a job and to be rounded and holistic students in the environment,” she stated.
Speaking at an open day held recently at the institution under the theme: ‘Garvey Maceo to the World: Showcasing an Aura of Excellence’ Mrs. Gayle urged the students to recognise the importance of deliberate effort, planning and preparation, if they are to master the skills necessary to ensure their survival in a worsening economic climate.
She told the students that while “life is okay for (them) now, look around you, look at the recession that is happening in Jamaica and around the world, it will be the survival of the fittest.”
She also stressed the need for students to take part in extra-curricular activities, as employers favour persons who are multi-skilled, and are flexible enough to efficiently execute any task.
“I also believe that apart from the academics, I am entreating you to pay attention to extra-curricular activities because many of the firms out there, they also require persons who are not only academic, but who can give back to the firm in other ways,” Mrs. Gayle noted.
The open day highlighted the work and achievement of the students over the past decade. Various grades and departments displayed an extensive array of projects and course work pieces showing the students’ talent and creativity.