NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – Come September, the Port Mourant Community High School would be upgraded to a secondary school.The primary tops would now be converted to annexes. These facilities serve as feeders for the junior secondary schools.Once a child scores 45 percent at the grade nine, that student can be accepted to a secondary school.Meanwhile, work on the new wing of the Port Mourant Community High School is moving apace. The date for completion is set for August. Work on the new wing began in October 2007 under a $15.3 million contract awarded to contractor Shazam Hussein of Port Mourant.The Port Mourant Community High School was initially built to accommodate 240 students. Over the years the number of students on roll increased, especially during the past four years, thus causing discomfort.In 2006 there were 500 pupils on roll; in October 2007, the figure had grown to 860. During a visit by President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2006, a plea was made for additional space, and their demand was granted.In the initial plan,Dallas Mavericks Jerseys, only six classrooms would have been added. However, with the number of children on roll being high, officials decided to cut back on some aspects of the project,Cheap Jerseys Store, and in so doing were able to get eight additional rooms.At present the Port Mourant school houses only students in the Grades Seven, Eight and Ten. Those in Grade Nine are accommodated at Belvedere, some two miles away.In 2010, the first set of students is scheduled to write the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council examination.In a recent interview, Head Teacher Colin Bynoe said that though the performance of his students at the National Grade Six Examination was of poor standard,Cheap NFL Jerseys, some of them have proven that they are late bloomers. “Together with the parents, we at the school would make something of these children.”Besides the four core subjects — Mathematics, Science,Cheap Air Max USA, Social Studies and English — the students are taught Industrial Arts,Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys, Home Economics and Agriculture, among other subject areas.Mr. Bynoe alluded to the fact that some of the students, after spending four years at the school and based on their performance,Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey, are sent to the Corentyne Comprehensive Secondary School. “If they can go there and perform well, then we can do it right here.” |