Tashieka Mair, Sunday Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE ADMINISTRATION of the Godfrey Stewart High School in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, is challenged, but undaunted by the quality of the students the school will take in come September.

The majority of the students who will enter the school received marks of between 21 and 50 per cent in mathematics, language arts and science in the recently concluded Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

Despite the challenging picture, Theobold Fearon, principal of Godfrey Stewart High, said the low academic performance of these students at the primary level will not determine their future.

He said teachers and principals who cannot add value to the lives of the students should reassess their role in the classroom.

Fearon told The Sunday Gleaner that the GSAT results of students he received last year were similar to the scores of the present set of students placed at his school.

However, he disagrees with persons who argue that students who performed poorly in GSAT will not be able to leave secondary school better than how they entered.

"Irrespective of how we got them (students), it is our duty to add some value to them and that will be achieved through the leadership of the school and quality teachers," he said. "Where the students come from should not have a bearing on what we do with them here, educators are trained to teach children," Fearon said

He believes teachers need to build a relationship with their students and help them to understand that what they do in school will determine their future.

"By counselling and persuasion, I have seen some of the most recalcitrant students change. One of the things we have been doing is to invite successful students from other schools to talk to them, to help to motivate them and let them know that there are better options other than running with the crowd," he said. "We have living example of children like them coming from the same background who are successful," added Fearon

Many of the students of the school hail from volatile communities such as Russia, Dalling Street and Hudson Street and in previous years, the school suffered from incidents of violent uproars among students who would bring their community feuds into the schools.

Zero-tolerance approach

However, Fearon said that since his tenure at the institution, from early last year, there has been an improvement in the level of discipline among the students as there is a zero-tolerance approach to indiscipline.

He said there are many upgraded high schools that suffer the same fate as Godfrey Stewart High that have improved greatly and are now competing with traditional high schools.

Fearon is optimistic that his school will become a model institution in western Jamaica. He is urging teachers to perform their duties with determination and with the goal to help each student to be better off when he or she leave high school.

"If you (teachers) are afraid, then you're in the wrong job and if you believe that you can't help, then you should not be here (teaching) and if your presence can't make a difference, you should not be here," he added.

Development plan

Fearon has implemented a five-year development plan that he expects to lead to a significant change in the academic performance and the attitude of his students as well as teachers.

"We are targeting literacy, mathematics, behaviour, teacher punctuality at classes, quality of the lesson plan, quality of teaching and over the five-year period we should see some improvements in these areas."

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, Godfrey Stewart was ranked 154th out of 157 high schools whose students graduated with four and more CSEC passes, but this is a record Fearon wants to change soon.

He said this should be possible through the persistence, dedication and determination of all teachers.

Fearon said while it may not be possible to bring each student to the highest academic level, they should leave the institution with at least a marketable skill.

"Right now, we are the most underperforming school in Westmoreland but the students are beginning to believe in themselves, the teachers are beginning to believe and we are prepared to do the hard work needed to help our students," an optimistic Fearon said.