GHS takes schools’ environment award

The Girls’ High School is this country’s most environmentally friendly secondary school for 2008.{{more}}

The school walked away with the award at a ceremony held on Thursday June 6th. The competition, sponsored by the Rotary Club South and the Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA) saw the St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown taking the second prize while the Petit Bordel Secondary School took the third spot in the secondary school category.

The prize giving ceremony, which took place at the Grimble Hall of the Girls’ High School saw St Mary’s Roman Catholic School emerge number one in the primary schools’ category, while the Calliaqua Anglican School was second and Stephanie Browne Government School third. The most improved schools in this year’s competition were the St Mary’s Roman Catholic and Petit Bordel Secondary.

CWSA Public Relations Officer Joan Ryan said that she hopes after the competition the schools will become more enthusiastic because her organization is “striving to make the competition bigger and better”. Ryan stated that cleanliness is everybody’s business and she commended those schools who participated in this year’s competition. She feels that in order for environmental education to be accomplished there must be co-operation among several agents including NEMO and Forestry Department. Ryan took the opportunity to encourage those schools who have not established environmental clubs at their institution to start now.

Cecil McKie who was representing the Rotary Club South said that he is pleased with the continued growth and improvement of the competition. He stated that his club is pooling resources with the CWSA to ensure that this competition grows from strength to strength. He urged the stakeholders in the competition to do a post mortem of the strengths and weaknesses of the competition to help improve next year’s event.

The competition, which is in its 11th year, ran from February 5 to May 20, 2008. The schools were judged in management of waste, management of waste water, vegetation, occupational and environmental health and safety. (VM)