This brings me to a personal instance in 1966, the first year that I was promoted to a headmaster at the West End Primary School. I had been there for less than an academic year, and the school received no passes. This was an extra-ordinary result for the school. I cannot recall that the parents of the students from Long Bay or West End openly casted judgement on my stewardship, but to be sure some of the members of the teaching fraternity had me belittled saying, “What kind of headteacher is he?” It must be realized that in those days promotion to headships were keenly contested.

Fortunately, I had faith in the said group of students so from September of the said year, we worked together—that is, the pupls, parents and teachers worked extremely hard, and in some cases, using corporal punishment where necessary, but not in excess. Michaelmas Term came and went, and so did the Lenten Term. Then came the day of reckoning or Harvest Time. June came and the examination, but July was an eternity. However the results arrived and low and behold , we had set a record of passes for the West End Primary School. Of the fifteen students who sat that year’s examination, twelve were successful. This record still stands and was due in part to the fact we did not have that level of intelligence during my time at West End which ended in July 1970.

With the results of the academic students completed, the pupils from The Valley Boys and Valley Girls automatically entered the vocational wing of the school. These pupils only paid their games fees while the academic students had to pay their school fees as well as games fees. This procedure of allowing only pupils from The Valley Schools to enter the Modern Secondary Wing caused a number of parents from the other district who could afford this luxury to send their children to one or other of these schools.

I am sure that a number of parents and grand parents can recall those days when parents frequented the schools on hearing of the results of the eleven plus examination. In those days parents showed a dedicated and meticulous ambition as to how their children were progressing systematically. Those were the good old days when teaching was an ABSOLUTE PLEASURE, when parents truly trusted and respected the teachers’ judgements, and the village reared the child. Today, however, with prosperity and wealth, parents have in many cases have their priorities wrong. The United States Dollar is more important than LOVE, RESPECT, TOLERANCE of OPINIONS, SELF-WORTH, SOLVING DISPUTES through DIALOGUE, FORBEARANCE and the LOVE OF GOD. These are on the back burners of our priorities.

Some of us feel that the above can be brought, but the neglect of these now are the results of the undiscipline in our schools and particularly at the secondary level. Where is the patriotism for this wonderful Institution? What do the present students of this school think about those who have passed through this institution to become professionals in ALL FIELDS of studies? Just stop and think how these former students feel to hear of the behaviour exhibited by students of their former school. One does not have to go far to have a knowledge of the illustrious sons of Anguilla who passed through this institution—The Right Rev. Errol L. Brooks, Bishop of the Northeastern Caribbean and Aruba, The Hon. Mr Osbourne Fleming, Chief Minister, Hon. Mr. Victor Banks, Minister of Finance Economic Development and Planning, all the Permanent Secretaries, Dr. Brett Hodge and Dental Surgeon Miss Mussington; Five passed Principals — Messers Basil Buchanan, Merrit Lake, Rodney Rey, Quincy Harrigan as well as Mrs. Yolande Richardson and our present Principal Mr Darwin Hazell.
There are a number in the legal and medical fraternities and Animal Husbandry. Present and prospective students of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School, I have named the above so that you, as students, can find one of these to be your ROLE MODEL. These names and personalities are not foreign to you as I am sure some or one of them would be your own family.

I next move to The Anguillian Revolution of May 30th, 1967, fourteen years after secondary education was introduced on the ROCK. During the political turmoil, teachers stuck to their gums and imparted education to the entire Anguillian youth through thick and thin, because politics had filtered into the system. However, we were fortunate that the examination of the Cambridge Syndicate was not disrupted because of the political stalemate. By 1968 and onward the examinations flowed smoothly even though the political impasse remained unsettled until 1980 when the Anguillian Act was passed in the House of Commons, and Anguilla was given a Separate Status on December 19th, 1980.

During the middle 1980’s The Valley Secondary School was changed to the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School, thus making secondary education free for ALL PUPILS between the ages of eleven plus and seventeen years. This saw the abolition of schools and games fees; however, pupils were responsible for buying their text books for study. Coupled with this influx of students to the Comprehensive School, the Government was forced to increase the staff complement, buildings and furniture. The buildings and furniture were completed in two phases, with the Campus B coming on stream in September 2000. The roll of the Comprehensive School almost doubled with the required additional staff taken from the Primary Schools.
Today, almost fifty years hence, we have a staff of eighty plus teachers with some eighty percent being Graduates and/or professionally trained and/or qualified, with disciplines in every field of endeavour, including state of the art in science, computer studies including electronic Mail. The school now caters for the individual and personal development of its students, with studies in academics and vocational training in subjects relevant to individual needs of the Anguillian community, as well as to equip the students for employment in the world of work.

But alas! What do we see in and among some of the present students of this prestigious institution? Students who have lost ALL SENSE OF SELF-RESPECT, MORAL and ETIQUETTE, LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT for the OPINIONS of others, SOLVING DISPUTES RATIONALLY by way of DIALOGUE, TOLERANCE, FORBEARANCE and the LOVE OF GOD and our NEIGHBOURS. Too often I am afraid, we the older ones blame the youth, but my dear readers WE ARE THE INSTIGATORS of the present unacceptable situation. Some where along the line, we as parents and grandparents have neglected our responsibilities in bringing up our children and our duty to God Almighty. The principles in the Good Book have been overlooked by us. We the older ones are basically responsible for the shortcomings of our teenagers—However this is a subject which should be addressed in another article.

But all is not lost. Let us by God’s Help, strive too instill in our youth the principles of Love for others, Self-Respect and the Respect for others opinions; strive to settle our disputes by means of dialogue and NOT VIOLENCE; by being tolerant of our and others’ needs and last but not least LOVE of God and MAN. This my dear readers will take the WHOLE VILLAGE (ISLAND) to initiate and formulate this change. Let us help our teenagers and youth in general to find their worth and calling in life. The Government through the Education Department, the Church, the family and indeed the entire island have the responsibility of achieving this goal. The youth you have your role to play in this endeavour, and by Gods Help we will overcome.

As I conclude this discourse, let me wish all a healthy and God filled 2003, hoping that all of us play our respective ROLES. It is my firm opinion that if each one of us does our bit, the fiftieth Anniversary of Secondary Education would have a new beginning. I earnestly believe there are many persons out-there to whom our youth could look up to as ROLE MODELS. These do not have to be academics, but also persons who have excelled in sports and Vocational Studies . Finally, I hope that the students of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School would take up this challenge and try to immulate the former students of your institution. By doing this you would be setting a pattern for future students who are likely to be your children and grandchildren. Wouldn’t this be a good legacy to later generations of Anguillians? PLEASE DO NOT DISAPPOINT ME. Look to your elders for wisdom; they have already experienced what you are going through today.

May the God of Heaven give us the grace to achieve what we have set out to do.

By: Vivien A. Vanterpool, B. PHIL, DAES, DES

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