Daniel wants more North Windward teachers

Montgomery Daniel, State Minister in the Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries Ministry, and parliamentary representative for North Windward, is concerned about teachers from his area getting jobs at the North Windward Secondary School.

Daniel expressed pride with the opening of the first secondary school in North Windward last Tuesday. He reflected on hardships his constituency experienced. {{more}}

For Daniel, the opening was an “historic moment.”

Part of his nostalgia included suffering the area endured, and he projected on the building of the Youremie Taiwan Bridge, the road from Fancy to Rabacca, the building of the North Windward Resource Centre, construction of the Sandy Bay Primary School among accomplishments of the Unity Labour Party.

Daniel cited discontent among some Sandy Bay teachers whose application for jobs at the North Windward Secondary had not been successful.

As far as Daniel was concerned, North Windward residents were treated as “second class citizens,” over the years.

He appealed to the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports to give North Windward residents attention.

Laura Browne, Permanent Secretary in the Education, Youth, and Sports Ministry, assured Daniel of increases to the institution in staff and students. And she assured that North Windward teachers would be employed.

Education, Youth and Sports Minister Clayton Burgin was in a buoyant mood when he addressed the gathering. Parliamentary representative for East St. George, Burgin played second fiddle to his West St. George colleague Mike Browne in the Education, Youth and Sports Ministry. Burgin has assumed full ministerial responsibility.

Burgin was supported by Culture and Tourism Minister Rene Baptiste. Chief Education Officer Susan Dougan reflected on her days as a student at the Sandy Bay Primary School, and stressed the values of education.

Dougan praised the government for introducing universal secondary school access.

“We are democratising education,” Dougan pointed out and added” “with access, your students will be set on a path to a better life.”

Patty Pierre, Acting Principal of the North Windward Secondary also outlined plans for the new institution. She and the rest of the staff were introduced to the audience by Senior Education Officer (Secondary). Teacher Esther Edwards entertained the crowd with a poem composed the previous day.

North Windward Secondary School has a population of 56 students. The building, made of board, is situated between the newly built Sandy Bay Primary School and the Learning Resource Centre.

It has six classrooms with space for the next set of students. However, area representative Montgomery Daniel alluded to a $3.5 million sum for new structure at Orange Hill in an area earmarked for a tourism Project.