Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 08, 2016 (SKNIS): In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Sandy Point High School, now known as the Charles E. Mills Secondary School, a service was held at the Calvary Baptist Tabernacle Church in Sandy Point.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Honourable Shawn Richards, who was the featured speaker at the November 06 service, stated that he was honoured to pay tribute to the school on its attainment of its significant milestone.
“It is always a pleasure for me to celebrate institutions in Sandy Point and today the joy is greater for me because this school is my Alma Mata,” said Minister Richards.
The minister said that the government has invested heavily in new school buildings and a professional teaching service. The first school to be built out of that programme was the Sandy Point High School.
Minister Richards outlined that when it opened in 1966, it was the first comprehensive school in the OECS to offer free secondary education. He added that it gave access to education for children primarily from Sandy Point, Halfway Tree, Newton Ground, St. Paul’s, Dieppe Bay, Parsons Ground, Saddlers and other rural areas regardless of social or economic background. The school was renamed in 2010 and is “now privileged, with a happy combination of factors that ensure success,” said the minister.
He further said that the school has had outstanding leaders who over the years guided it in pursuit of educational ideals.
“This school, Charles E. Mills Secondary is devoted to helping every student achieve his/her best and is staffed with dedicated teachers who tailor the education to the needs and abilities of their students,” said the minister. “These teachers continue to be a testimony of the efforts of this society and this country. They provide a public service in education by transmitting knowledge and improving skills without compromise.”
Minister Richards stated that none of the achievements of the Charles E. Mills Secondary School would be possible without the enthusiastic support of parents and the wider community. He added that the school has always promoted the development of the individual.
“As the motto says it is ‘Committed to Educating, Moulding and Stimulating Students.’ This encompasses not only honing a child’s academic ability, but physical prowess as well, as strengthening societal values and ethics,” said the education minister.
The anniversary was celebrated under the theme “Fifty Years of Excellence: Reflecting on the Past, Embracing the Future.”
