St Martin's Secondary School

Since the month of September 2006, I have been teaching French and Spanish in St Martin's Secondary School. Forms 1 and 2 have started to study Spanish for the first time. Forms 2, 3 and 4 study French with Form 2 studying both languages. During the month of February 2007 the Ministry of Education along with the Curriculum unit for languages organised a Modern Languages Exhibition. This was a three day event for primary and secondary schools in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Each school was asked to choose a country/countries where the languages they study are spoken. The students were then asked to prepare material on these countries for display at the exhibition. I don't think anyone imagined how good a reception the event would get. There was such enthusiasm shown from teachers and students alike and the result was fantastic!

St Martin's chose France and Spain.

The event took place in the Girl Guide Hut, a great location for St Martin's as it is only 2 minutes away! Things got of to a slow start on the first day with the official opening not happening until 12 midday. On the second day I arranged to take some of my language students to see the exhibition. I honestly wasn't sure how they would react or how interested they would be. I didn't need to worry. It was a great day! The atmosphere in the hall was just lovely, there was a real buzz about the place with lots of people milling around and talking, some in English, French, Spanish, even Chinese! The boys were delighted to see some of their work at the exhibition and they really enjoyed walking around and seeing all the other information in the hall.

A small group of boys were chosen to man our stall at the exhibition and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. They were amazed at how many questions people were asking about their work and they took great delight in explaining the recipe for Quiche Lorraine and the architecture of the Barcelona football stadium!

During the day I brought a lot of students to the exhibition and each group showed great enthusiasm for what they saw. Everyone reacted differently to the exhibits but all agreed that it was a very worthwhile experience.

In the afternoon of the final day we had a closing ceremony attended by several officials from various educational groups. Some schools, mainly primary, had prepared some dances and songs from the countries they had studied and a lovely performance was witnessed by all.

St Martin's Secondary School

St Martin's is a Catholic secondary school for boys aged 11-17 yrs. The school is situated in Kingstown, the capital of St Vincent and the Grenadines. 304 boys attend the school from a variety of areas and backgrounds. The school suffers a lack of resources and funding is in short supply. The majority of the children come from poor families who can barely afford to pay the fee to allow them to attend the school. Many pupils do not live with their parents. Mothers and fathers leave to find work and a better life in America or Canada and promise to send for their children. In reality the children are left to fend for themselves being brought up by grandparents or aunts and uncles. In some cases the children have to look after themselves with older siblings being the only form of care they have at home. The majority of the staff in the school are not qualified teachers. They find it difficult to control large classes of 35-40 students.

But everyone at St Martin's is trying to change the situation for the students who attend the school. Volunteer teachers have been recruited from Ireland and Trinidad. These teachers are trained and experienced in their work and have helped to ease the burden on the school. The principal has worked hard over the last year and a half since taking up his position as head, to improve the discipline in the school. Staff who were present last year all agree that there is a marked difference in the behaviour of the students.

There is a major drive at the moment to involve parents in the schooling of their children. Teachers consult and meet with parents on a regular basis to discuss the progress of their children. Without their full support the job of the teacher will be too difficult.

There are a lot of beautiful children attending this school. Given the right environment the majority of them could be successful.

St Vincent and the Grenadines
St Vincent is the northernmost island of the Grenadines with a population of over 100,000. Often referred as the Garden of the Grenadines because of its rich volcanic soil, the island (133 square miles) is not a popular tourist destination for those who wish to savour the delights of the Caribbean, but is an attractive option for some who want to take time out from the beaten track.
The Lonely Planet describes the island as “lush and green, with deep valleys cultivated with bananas, coconuts and arrowroot….a rugged interior of tropical rain forest and banana estates ….with some of the most fertile farmland and luxuriant landscapes” in the Caribbean.
St Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent nation within the Commonwealth. Agriculture and fishing are the mainstay of the economy, however banana exports have been recently undermined by global free trade. Unemployment rates have soared to 45%, making this the second poorest island in the Caribbean after Haiti. Many islanders emigrate to Canada, America or the UK to seek a better life.
The Catholic community, which makes up just 8% of the population, is trying to make a meaningful contribution to education on the island, accepting that a sound academic education is the only way forward for the island’s children.