| …as school celebrates 50th anniversaryBy Desilon DanielsEdgar Wilson, first headmaster of the Charlestown Secondary SchoolSitting at the corner of Howes and Charles Street, Charlestown is the Charlestown Secondary School. Opened on October 4, 1965, the school is in the process of celebrating its 50th anniversary – its Golden Jubilee.The running of a school – particularly a new one – is indeed a daunting task but Edgar Mordante Wilson rose to the task and became the school’s first headmaster upon its opening.And though there have been numerous Headmasters and Headmistresses since then, Wilson will, no matter what, hold the place of being the school’s first leader. Even now, 31 years after his death, Wilson is still hailed as a premier educator.His son, Keith Wilson, was present for the anniversary celebration and shared just how influential his father was, not only to the development of the school but to the development of those closest to him.Keith, a retired University Professor and Project Manager at NASA’s Optical Ground Station, resides in the United States and shared his pleasure at returning to Guyana to honour his father’s contributions.“I am privileged to be a part of this auspicious occasion and honoured to be asked to say a few words about Edgar Wilson, Charlestown Secondary School’s first Headmaster; a complex yet unassuming man, who continues to enlighten us with new insights, even 31 after his death,” Keith said.Keith explained that his father was born in Region #2, Pomeroon-Supenaam, and was the son of Headmaster Conrad Wilson – who was a strict disciplinarian – and Clara Wilson. “He grew up in an era when a child’s education was a source of terror, and corporal punishment was the norm. Many of us remember Dictation and Mental Arithmetic, the two class times when licks reigned supreme. From the lowest to the most elite schools, children were terrorized and whipped with canes for poor academic performance and/or behaviour,” Keith recounted.However, he said, although his father was raised in this sort of environment, the man instituted a “No Corporal Punishment” rule when he took control of the Charlestown Secondary School. Keith added that his father strongly believed in respecting students.“Edgar Wilson recognized that many of his students were generally whipped, berated, and treated like beasts at home. He insisted that they be respected, and treated as valuable human beings at school. He believed that the respect and encouragement of the students were fundamental to their self-motivation, their self-respect, their respect of others, and to their eventual success in life.”Keith further said that his father had a deep love for the arts and its instruction, things to which he would have first been exposed to as a Queen’s College student. He said that when his father was appointed Headmaster of the Charlestown Government Secondary School, his first aim was to introduce a “multicultural” education.“He saw this assignment as a great opportunity, one that would allow him to experiment with various educational approaches with the goal of making Charlestown – as he called it – “the Queen’s College and the Cultural Theatre Guild” of South Georgetown,” Keith said.As part of the multicultural curriculum, Charlestown introduced Home Economics, and Steel and Wood Works.“At Charlestown, Home Economics extended beyond baking and cooking. In these classes, outside instructors were invited to teach the students table etiquette, the correct way to set a table, and to use a knife and fork. The Home Economics Department held Saturday tea parties to give students an opportunity to show off their skills,” Keith explained. He went on to say that his father, who was an avid poetry lover, shared this love with the students and plays were soon commonplace in the school. Keith said that performances were open to the community at large and his father used these opportunities to uplift students and to enlist the support of parents, teachers and any others who impacted the lives of his students.“Under him, Charlestown Secondary School became a sanctuary, an uplifting place that encouraged learning, a place that developed the potential of all of its students. Realizing that the home conditions of many of his students were not conducive to study, he opened the school library to them late into the night; staying there with them as they studied for their exams,” Keith said.He continued, “The success of Charlestown during his tenure was due to his commitment to develop the rounded individual. By caring for his students both during and after school, and by respecting their uniqueness, their special skills, their different aptitudes and interests, and their different rates of development, the students responded with pride in their school and in their achievements.”Meanwhile, Keith also presented a copy of his father’s new book, “Hamlet: A Portrait of the Reformation”. The book was published by Keith himself, who explained that his father had written the manuscript some 35 years ago while he was a Professor at the University of Guyana. The book focuses on Hamlet by William Shakespeare.“This book reveals the true nature of the Shakespeare play, far beyond the simple murder plot of a nephew killing his uncle who had killed his father and married his mother,” Keith said. “The book reveals the then corruption of the Catholic Church and the collusion of the Pope, and the European Kings as they tried to defeat the English and German Reformers. The Reformations eventually gave rise to the Anglican and Lutheran churches.”Edgar Wilson was born on February 23, 1920 and passed away on March 4, 1984. In appreciation of his dedication to the secondary school, the Charlestown Alumni Association of New York created an annual “Edgar Wilson” scholarship.The school was established to cater for secondary education in the South Georgetown area. The opening of the school also aimed to deal with the overcrowding at the Dolphin Secondary School, Saint Stephen’s Presbyterian and Carmel R.C.On Saturday, the school concluded its week of activities planned for its anniversary with a barbeque and lime at the school compound. Other activities included a rally, a Career Day, an Open Day and exhibition, and a graduation and prize-giving ceremony. |
