- Built with savings from school
The Ferncourt High School, Claremont, St Ann, on Thursday November 13, held its official opening ceremony for its sixth form programme and a newly built floor of four classrooms, called the ‘Rev’d Lenworth Sterling Floor’. `It also opened new sanitary conveniences for staff and students.
The opening prayer of the ceremony was done by Reverend Wilfred Alexander and welcome by Courtney Lawes, chairman of Ferncourt High School. Also participating in the ceremony were: Custos of St Ann, Norma Walters and Member of Parliament for South East St Ann, Lisa Hanna.
In brief opening remarks, Mr Lawes spoke of the accomplishments of the institution and said the school, like any other in Jamaica, faces challenges.
In his address, Principal Lenworth Sterling, said “ Our school which should really be accommodating 750 students continues to grow overtime until we are now operating two campuses, one here in Claremont and another in Brittonville.”
Because of the increase in the school population, work started on seven additional classrooms in 2007, to house the grade 7 cohort of 350 students. However, only three classrooms were completed, and with the change of administration in September 2007 and thus change of focus, construction for the second floor of classrooms ceased.
The school then took the initiative, saving funds that came from School’s Subvention and the school activities and especially from the canteen, to erect new classrooms and sanitary conveniences to accommodate the additional students. With new focus on re-establishing a Sixth Form, two of the new classrooms will be temporarily used to house the students in the sixth form programme that started in September until a Sixth Form Block is constructed on the site identified.
Guest speaker Minister of Education, Reverend Ronald Thwaites commended the school for its fiscal management and encouraged the students to use the facilities wisely. In so doing he said: “Many of you take school for granted. Young ladies of Ferncourt, If you lived in some parts of the world there would be no school. There are few big countries in the world where girls are not to be educated, in parts of Nigeria there are hundreds of young girls that are kidnapped and are forced to marry when they are young to men they do not know.” He further urged the students to take pride in their education. “The money that has been used to build the classrooms and to rectify the sanitary facilities has not come as some grants from the Ministry of Education. It is simply because your school officials saved that money which came from the Government over years.” He gave the school his blessings and told them to continue looking forward to greater achievements.
Mr Sterling also made mention of the hardship which several parents face, every year, to pay for CSEC subjects. He thanked Eslyn Williamson, wife of the late Glen Williamson for the Glen Williamson’s Examination Scholarship fund. This fund is to be used for examination expenses of students in need. Mr Sterling said the students of the school were extremely grateful for this and applauded Mrs Williamson for the generous gesture.
After the presentations, the designates went to the new block where the ribbon cutting was done by MP Lisa Hanna, Dr Pauline Foster, Joan McDonald, Japhia Langley and Pixley Irons. The Ferncourt High School’s new classrooms and sanitary conveniences were declared officially opened.
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