Marked improvement by Sion Hill Government School in 2016 CPEA

Within the space of one year, the Sion Hill Government School has significantly reversed its fortunes at the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) – moving from recording the lowest pass rate in the nation last year to 73.9 per cent this year.

Speaking with SEARCHLIGHT last Wednesday morning, head teacher Verona Richards expressed her delight at the achievement, and promised that next year,{{more}} the primary school will attain an even higher pass rate, with more students getting good grades.

“We are taking it by storm next time – we have the potential… There are students in the school with potential and we have to tap into that potential. So, now we know how to do it, we will come even better next year,” she enthused.

“This is a result of the hard work and dedication that was put in by many teachers… I am absolutely elated!” added Richards, who has been the head teacher at Sion Hill Government for the past seven years.

“I am really touched by the performance because last year it was the other end of the spectrum… I was hanging my head in shame. It took me a while to shake it off, but I thank God that it is the other way around.”

Last year, the school’s pass rate was 34 per cent, with 34 Grade 6 students completing the CPEA. This year, 23 students completed the CPEA – with Javed Baptiste being the top performer.

Baptiste placed 102nd for boys and 224th overall, gaining 79 per cent in Mathematics, 82 per cent in English Language and 82 per cent in Science.

Richards, who began her teaching career in 1983, identified literacy among students and parental involvement as the two biggest challenges afflicting the school, which, although they have improved over years gone by, require more attention.

“Our biggest challenge now is to get the children to read on a more regular basis, to have a deeper passion for reading. As you know, reading stands as the base for everything you do in school… That is what we are really working on now.”

She also revealed that the school has been working on a proposal to submit to the Mustique Charitable Trust for financial assistance to establish a diagnostic centre at the school.

Additionally, Richards noted: “Another challenge that is quite significant is parental involvement in terms of how they help their children, when and how often. We are not getting that type of support in the way we want it to happen.”

In an attempt to rectify this matter, the school’s Parent Teacher Association has been restructured, with a new executive elected.

“This one looks pretty good to me,” she asserted.

Richards also expressed gratitude to Minister of Health Luke Browne, who is the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) caretaker in East Kingstown (the constituency in which Sion Hill Government is located).

“He brought in a specialist teacher to teach the children, give them extra lessons two days per week… Everybody appreciates the effort that he put in.”

Speaking with SEARCHLIGHT last Wednesday, Browne said that he is “really happy” to see the progress that has been made at the school.

“The motivation for this was just seeing the result which they turned out last year. They had the lowest pass rate in the country… When I looked at the specifics, I saw further. The pass rate in Mathematics was about 14 per cent – that was just entirely abysmal.”

The Minister said that on doing some comparative studies with other schools across SVG focusing on socio-economic composition, he noticed that the performance at Sion Hill Government was “out of line” with what was reasonably expected of the educational institution.

“I started there as an initial project because of the particular dire situation that the school was in… I am looking forward to expanding the programme because… I have grown more passionate about it,” he explained, highlighting his intention to put the programme in other schools within the East Kingstown constituency on a “needs basis”.

The Ministry of Education has also assisted the school in boosting its pass rate with the assignment of an education officer, who visits the school on a weekly basis to assist in “the area of reading”.

The head teacher at Sion Hill Government also highlighted the fact that the school is not only improving academically, but also in its sporting prowess.

Among other accolades, the school holds the female Under-Nine Athletics Champion trophy, which was awarded to Keshawna Alexander earlier this year.

Alexander will represent St Vincent and the Grenadines this summer at a regional sporting event that is usually organized by the Caribbean Union of Teachers.