The Daryll Jordan Secondary School, at Trents, St. Lucy, is celebrating the achievement of marking 49 years as an institution of learning.
Speaking at the school’s Commemoration Service this morning, Principal Cheryl Gill announced to an audience, which included past and present students, Minister of Education, Santia Bradshaw, and Member of Parliament for the area Peter Phillips, that the school achieved an overall pass rate of 63.5 per cent in this year’s Caribbean Examination Council’s CSEC Examinations.
She added that students also received 100 per cent passes in some subject areas.
“This year, our CSEC results have continued to be very pleasing. We, therefore, thank our immediate past principal, Mr. Stephen Jackman, our Deputy Principal, Mr. Ken Layne, and our teachers for their continued creativity, dedication and commitment to excellence. We will endeavour as a school to build out our Caribbean Vocational Qualifications programme, to build out our literacy support programmes and to ensure that we deliver an excellent secondary education to all who pass through this institution,” she stated.
Additionally, she noted that the school’s tradition of excellence in sports continues, as three students are presently being prepared to take their SATs in anticipation of overseas scholarships in their respective athletic disciplines.
The school boasts alumni, which includes former West Indies cricketers Vasbert Drakes and Ryan Hurley, after which the pavilion there has been named; Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Anthony Blackman; Executive Director of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association, Shardae Boyce; international football player, Norman Forde; long distance runner, Lennox Ellis; and Crystal Emmanuel, who is touted to be the fastest sprinter in Canada.
Chairman of the Board of Management, Pearson Springer, said the anniversary celebrations were a chance for the school to “relaunch” and try to inspire current and future generations. He added that the school’s rich history, success and achievements have not been duly credited to it.
“[This] has to be told because generations to come should be so stimulated by our story that Daryll Jordan Secondary will be their preferred choice for secondary education,” he emphasised.
One area of concern he noted, however, was the fact that the school’s enrolment numbers were declining. “Truth be told, our numbers which have declined from over 1,100 [students] to just about 500 concerns us. In fairness though, it would be remiss of me not to mention that the primary schools in St. Lucy are seeing declining numbers too,” he stated.
Mr. Springer listed a number of initiatives which the school would embark on to keep its achievements at the forefront. These include the launch of a ‘Wall of Stars’ to recognise students who have gone on to represent Barbados in various sporting disciplines.
Additionally, the school also unveiled its first academic shield to honour students who have left Daryll Jordan Secondary with four or more GCEs, LCCs and CXCs.
The school also launched a mentorship programme where old scholars will be providing valuable assistance to students through mentoring, scholarships, life skills and job attachments.