St Francois Girls’ principal wants school relocated

Speaking at the school’s achievement day yesterday at Queen’s Hall, Port-of-Spain, principal Patricia McIntosh showed photos of armed police and soldiers surrounding the school at St Francois Valley Road, Belmont, last week. She asked, "Is that an enabling environment?"

Students responded with a loud "no." McIntosh noted that in spite of the school’s high success rate in exams, there were several factors which prevented the girls from doing even better. She said accommodation at the school was extremely limited, with classes sometimes being held "under the stairs and in the lobby."

"After 43 years we still do not have a hall. No hall!"

McIntosh said "every single Monday morning" girls fainted and had to be taken to the sick room because they are exposed to the elements during assembly "in the grassy area, around in the open."

She criticised the Ministry of Education, saying, "We are being neglected, yet we are achieving and doing very well, and it must be addressed." The upset principal pointed out that the school had to pay enormous sums of money for functions like the one yesterday, "to show what we are doing, and we are doing a lot."

She termed the situation "shameful," even as she highlighted that the school had no sporting facilities, and there was controversy surrounding the girls’ use of the pool at St Anthony’s.

McIntosh also said there was limited multimedia equipment, and unqualified and inexperienced teachers, which has resulted in problems with the delivery of the curricula, and isolated cases of teacher delinquency.

"We want a new school with more facilities," she said, adding that the school "should be relocated to an environment that is more uplifting and aesthetically appealing, one that infuses a sense of security and safety."

Besides the negatives, however, she endorsed the recent call by Education Minister Hazel Manning for students to get more involved in their school activities through the students’ council, and Government’s introduction of free tertiary education.

As for the school’s success, two students — Whitney Cupidore and Jennylyn Baptiste — won national scholarships this year. In this year’s CXC exams, there was an overall pass rate of 82 percent with 237 students getting grade one’s and 287 receiving grade two’s. However, McIntosh expressed disappointment at the 59 percent pass rate in Spanish.

She said the school had never before scored such a low percentage, but attributed the matter to the school’s Spanish Department getting two under-qualified teachers. In the CAPE exams, McIntosh said the girls’ performance was outstanding, with a 95 percent pass rate, while at the GCE A’ Level exams, there was an overall pass rate of 93 percent.

Awards were given out to students from Forms One to Six in various categories, including certificate of merit for general good work, outstanding performances in subject areas and awards based on this year’s CXC and GCE A’ Level exams.