Short term sacrifices for long term gains

by J. Soso-Vincent 15.AUG.08

Good education always comes at a price but for some, paying that price calls for tremendous sacrifice. This is something that students who live in Bequia and travel to the mainland for educational purposes can well attest to.{{more}}

A typical school day for such a student goes something like this: wake up at 5am, catch the ferry at 6:30am, school begins at 8:15am, school dismissed at 3:30pm, catch the ferry again at 4pm, get back to Bequia at 5pm. This schedule can deviate depending on the student’s extra-curricular activities, which may require them to catch the 6pm boat, or later. Despite this longer than average day, the students are then expected to eat dinner, complete their homework and, during examination time, do extra revision. It’s a tough schedule and definitely not for the faint of heart.

Students José Belmar, Alicia and Samantha Lavia and Jenique Ollivierre were only too willing to share their experiences with SEARCHLIGHT. 17-year-old José will be attending the Upper Sixth Form at St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College in the upcoming school term. Currently he stays on the mainland during the week and returns home on weekends. However, up until Fifth Form at the St. Martin’s Secondary School, he was making the commute back and forth everyday. José quite enjoys the commute, but that wasn’t always the case. “Closer to the end I started liking it, but at first I didn’t,” he admitted. Waking up so early in the mornings was hard for him, he said.

Girls’ High School student Jenique is of a similar opinion – after the adjustment period was over, she got used to it. “It’s frustrating sometimes, but I like the traveling.” Things got a bit rough again coming up to her CXC examinations when she was required to take extra classes. That meant coming home on the 6pm or 7pm ferry and oftentimes being too tired to eat dinner, much more do homework – something most 16-year olds don’t have to experience.

Neither José nor Jenique were able to take up extra-curricular activities on the mainland, but José managed to become a member of the Bequia Sailing Club, participating in activities on the weekend. On reflection, Jenique is of the opinion that she didn’t miss out on socializing with her classmates because she sees enough of them in school. Not surprising, as she is a quiet girl who prefers reading and listening to music.

Alicia and Samantha Lavia are sisters and both attend the St. Clair Dacon Secondary School. Whilst 17-year-old Alicia has recently graduated from the school, 15-year old Samantha has another 2 years left there. Surprisingly, the Lavia sisters were quite enthusiastic about their daily commute to the mainland. “It was actually fun because you get to meet new people and hang out with your friends!” Alicia bubbled. She also confessed that her ferry journeys on mornings were mostly spent sleeping.

Alicia began commuting in Form 2 after she was forced to change schools from the Bequia Community High to St. Clair Dacon Secondary, because of bullying. Her experience at Bequia Community High negatively affected her schoolwork and behaviour. “I couldn’t take the pressure. I hardly ever went to class,” she dismayed. The seemingly more resilient of the two, Samantha, too, changed schools. But her daily commute began in primary school. “When we come down on the boat we can relax… we would sit in groups and study,” she recalled. Unlike José and Jenique, the Lavia sisters found time to get involved in after-school groups, in spite of having to travel all the way to Carapan to attend school. Both girls are members of their school’s Environmental Club and the Inter School Christian Fellowship (ISCF). Added to that, Alicia was a member of the Young Leaders group.

Amongst these four students, it seems to be the general consensus that having to travel to St. Vincent daily during term-time is worth the hardship. They all agree that life on the mainland is more interesting because there are more activities to get involved in, and emphatically deny having any regrets about not staying in Bequia for their schooling.

Their parents, however, may be the ones feeling the greatest strain because it is they who have to foot the travel expenses.

Admiralty Transport charges under-12 students a concessionary rate of approximately $260 per month for their journey, whilst the older ones pay on average $300 monthly. More outstanding is the fact that the company awards three “passage scholarships” each year to Bequia students who cannot afford it. Last school year, the Bequia Express allowed 15 students free passage, whilst the others paid varying discounted prices, according to their parents’ financial situations.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT, Juliet Lavia, mother of Alicia and Samantha, admitted that it was hard for her and her husband, Aubrey, to cover the cost of getting both their children to school. The girls had not been fortunate enough to receive scholarships, so their parents had to bare the full brunt of travel expenses, school books, uniforms, CXC examinations and lunch and snack money. On the other hand, Vernette Ollivierre and her husband, Clayton, had some financial alleviation in the form of a Teachers’ Union scholarship for their daughter Jenique. Both mothers related how stressful it is having their children commute every day. Most days their children leave the house before them and return after they do. Moreover, they believe that whilst their children are benefiting academically, they are not able to take full advantage of the social activities available to them. Ollivierre also related the problems faced when students remain on the mainland during the school week. She further added that many parents have stayed away from this option because their children become unhappy, as they are not in their own homes, nor comfortable, and it negatively affects their grades.

Despite the negatives, it is clear that Juliet Lavia and Vernette Ollivierre are confident that they made the right decision, and advise other parents to do the same. Adamant that “…a good education is worth any amount of money,” Ollivierre believes that the sacrifice is a necessary evil. Lavia is grateful that most of the teachers at St. Clair Dacon Secondary are Christians because the religious values that she teaches her daughters at home are upheld in school. According to Lavia and Ollivierre, with only two Secondary Schools on Bequia, it comes as no revelation that the students there are limited as to what subjects they can pursue. Lack of funding and proper facilities mean that those secondary schools are not up to par with those on the mainland, they feel. Ollivierre is of the belief that in this ever-changing world, it is a parent’s duty to give their children the best start possible. Both mothers also agreed that the Government should improve the facilities and resources at all Bequia schools if they wish more locals to further their education there. Furthermore, the Government should look into establishing residences on the mainland, with reliable people in charge, where students could stay during term time. This would be useful not only to Bequia students, but also to mainland students from rural communities.

It truly speaks volumes that students and their parents are willing to sacrifice years of commuting in order to secure as best an education as they possibly can. Looking from the outside in, it may seem as though the students are being put through an unnecessary ordeal, but in speaking to them, it is clear that they are only trying to secure their futures, given the constraints put upon them. Their parents believe that, on the flip side of the coin, it has built a sense of responsibility and discipline in these students – something the Spanish Teacher at St. Clair Dacon Secondary, Charmaine Deane can confirm. “Most teachers will tell you the same thing,” she declared. Forfeits always have to be made in life, but they never last forever. As the saying goes: “Short term sacrifices for long term gains”.