New secondary school officially open

On the centennial anniversary of his birthday, a secondary school was officially opened yesterday in honour of the man who composed this country’s national anthem.
Gaston Browne, prime minister of the nation, told the large crowd of attendees at the Potters school plant that the Sir Novelle Richards Academy is the first secondary school paid for by taxpayers since Antigua & Barbuda gained political independence back in November 1981.
“There is no other country in the OECS or even the wider Caribbean that can boast about this kind of achievement that a secondary school would have been constructed in two months and one week, and done by all local contractors, architects, masons, carpenters, and labourers to include female labourers,” Browne said last night.
The prime minister praised the work of the Board of Education, Education Minister Michael Browne and everyone who was instrumental in getting the construction phase completed.
Admitting this was a difficult undertaking, the prime minister said the school is now the envy of other government learning institution, but he said more schools will be getting attention.
“The programme of repairing and expanding all secondary and primary schools will continue. Already we have started on the Villa Primary School. Then we will move to the Cedar Grove Primary School and we will continue systematically until we renew the entire school plant,” the country’s leader said.
Meanwhile, the education minister, in his address at the ceremony, promised that the Antigua Girls High School, Pares, All Saints, Jennings and Glanvilles secondary schools as well as the Antigua State College and the staff room at Clare hall Secondary School will get the much needed repairs.
“We are coming,” he said. “The education levy is responsible for the block at Jennings Secondary School, three buildings at the Antigua Girls High School, Clarehall, Princess Margaret, All Saints Secondary school’s expansion, the Pigotts, [and] Potters primary schools and the construction of the aviation institution at the ASC.”
Dr. Winston Richards, son of Sir Novelle Richards, delivered remarks on behalf of his family and thanked the government for his father’s recognition.
The 14-class institution opened in September for the new school year with only first-formers and it is expected that enrollment will be increased over the next few years.