27.JUNE.08

A Vincentian teacher has made history in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

For the first time in that country’s history, nine of the top ten students in the Grade 6 Achievement Test are from one school and one class.{{more}}

Their proud teacher is Ava King-Robertson, a Vincentian living in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Robertson’s students were tested in Mathematics, English, Science and General Paper, and the top 3 students in each of these areas were awarded at a graduation ceremony held on Wednesday, June 25.

Robertson’s school, the Ona Glinton Primary School, on Grand Turk, received 11 of the 12 subject awards, with 10 coming from Robertson’s class.

Robertson has been teaching the children in that class for the past three years, since they were in Grade 4.

She achieved a 100 per cent pass rate among her 24 students.

“This is not the first time for me personally, as I’ve achieved this (a 100 per cent pass rate) before (at the CXC level) while teaching history at the Emmanuel High School, Kingstown,” Robertson told Searchlight.

Robertson also taught at the Mike Harry Academy and the Bethel High School.

Since joining her husband Calvert Robertson in the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2003, Robertson has been teaching at the Primary level.

She said she is thrilled with her achievement because when she was leaving St. Vincent, one of her tutors at the Teachers’ College, Andrea Bowman, told her: “Go out there and …make us proud….” “I know she, as well as all of my past college tutors, will be elated when she gets this news”, Robertson said.

Robertson, who is the daughter of Nellie King, of Rockies, said she is grateful and “truly indebted to all my former teachers at the Girls’ High School for instilling the values of hard work, honesty and discipline in me.

She also expressed thanks to her former tutors at the SVG Teachers’ College: Andrea Bowman, Philemon Williams, Ulrick Sutherland, Deborah Bacchus, Cassie-Ann Abbott, Angela Martin, Mrs. Sardine and Mrs. Brown; her Teachers’ College classmates, especially Theo, Heather and Cabba “whom I contact regularly to discuss troublesome concepts in various subject areas”, she disclosed.

“I would also like to thank God for his divine help, the Kingstown Baptist Church and Salem Baptist Church members (Turks and Caicos) for their prayers, and my family, close friends and husband for their strong confidence in my abilities,” the elated teacher said.