Dear Editor,
The New Amsterdam Multilateral Senior Secondary School (NAMS) celebrated its 33rd year of existence last Monday, September 15, 2008 with a simple assembly that was held in the school’s multi-purpose hall. The school opened its doors in 1975 and was named the New Amsterdam Government Secondary School but was later renamed after the formation of a chain of multilateral schools dotted across the coastland of Guyana. One hundred and eighty-one students along with eleven teachers were enrolled. The school was headed by Ms Joyce Thomas — a name that has become synonymous with NAMS over the past years.
The multilateral programme back then catered for the introduction of a variety of academic disciplines to choose from as the aim was to holistically educate the young minds. And so, today, the multilateral school chains in Guyana now offer some of the most and diverse subject areas as compared to other secondary schools in the region. NA Multilateral, again, this year, produced the top CSEC student in Regions Five and Six as well as the top CAPE student.
The school, several years ago, was headed by Mr Elton Lewis and Mr Nateshwar Barran and had some of the most disciplined students in the region. There was a fully functioning prefect body that maintained order and discipline back then, along with the hard work by members of the teaching staff. Today, NAMS struggles for that level of discipline through very challenging times for school administrators and managers as they vie to compete, and to understand the young minds that our children possess today.
Yours truly was the guest speaker at the 33rd anniversary function. In my address to the student population I said, “But there are real challenges. Nothing comes easily. Nothing throughout 33 years has been achieved by just relaxing — it entailed hard work and a 101% discipline.” I continued that discipline had always been the hallmark of this institution — in NAMS’ case of both teachers and students. It was hard work and discipline that made academic and other successes possible.
It is no accident that the theme of Education Month this year is ‘Education: a parent and teacher obligation.’ Notice which comes first − the parent. The parent is therefore the first educator the child comes in contact with before the teacher takes charge at three years nine months. But the teacher taking charge at three years nine months does not end the parents’ involvement in the education of their children; in fact the parent is more in charge of the child than the teacher. Sadly, though, today in many instances, it seems that many parents have handed all control and responsibilities of their children to the teachers. It is no wonder that a while ago I’ve heard the school being described as a ‘day care’ for children. But the theme I mentioned begs to change all of this. Parents have the first and foremost responsibility when it comes to educating their children.
It’s not whether they would like to or not, or whether it is convenient for them, but that it is pertinent for them to realize that education is a process where parents should work hand in hand with teachers in the development of their children.
About half, if not more of the staff are former students of this school who, because of their ardour and allegiance to NAMS have chosen the best way of taking care of the school that moulded them — to give their time, service and lives to teach here. The students, too, must develop this mindset and must be prepared to give back as well. They should take advantage of the opportunities for expansion and growth available at NAMS, because they have some of the best qualified teachers in the region at their disposal. At no other time in NAMS’ history have there been so many subjects offered in the curriculum. I wish I had been a student at this period here because then I would have had a plethora of subjects to choose from and specialist teachers for those subjects. These are the hallmarks of producing the best students from one of the best academic institutions in the country of the kind of calibre we all know and appreciate. NAMS only produces the best — nothing less.
The school is under the headships today of Ms Jackie Benn and Mr Buster Wright. Ms Benn, a former student of the school herself in her remarks said, “After thirty years, I was given the opportunity to return to these hallowed halls to serve.”
She said she was grateful to the school for shaping the person she is today.
“If you are to keep up elite standards, then you have to ensure that you promote the best standards,” Ms Benn said in her remarks.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Jameson Suseran
