Santa Maria School making headway

The year 8 and year 10 students, at Santa Maria Junior Secondary School, on Gaua in Torba Province, are going through exams for the first time, since the introduction of junior secondary classes a year ago.

Speaking to Daily Post by phone from Gaua yesterday, the School Principal, Kevin Sharky, said the parents and teachers of Santa Maria French Junior Secondary School are very pleased and proud to see their children being part of the 2014 Year 8 and Year 10 examinations done on the island for the first time since 1980.

“Before 2013, the Gaua students had to go to junior secondary schools on other islands or provinces for their junior secondary studies. But since we introduced junior secondary classes in 2013, everyone on the island are happy and proud, especially the parents to see their children in Year 8 and Year 10 taking exams on their home island for the first time in 34 years of our independence in 1980,” the Principal Kevin Sharky who moved the education level on the island proudly told Daily Post over the phone.

There are 14 students in Year 8 class and 18 students in Year 10 class taking part in the 2014 secondary school examinations on their home island for the time in 34 years. Previously, they would sit the exam in one of the far distant island secondary schools in Vanuatu.

“It would have cost the parents a fortune, to send their children to study at different secondary schools in other faraway part of the country,” Principal Sharky told the Daily Post.

Santa Maria school has a total of 74 students in both the primary and junior secondary classes.

“We are making headway here. One of the big advantages with the junior secondary being on the island is keeping the students away from the limelight of the towns and less adverse attractions that can sometimes rob the students from concentrating on their studies,” said the Principal.

He said he expects his students to do well in their exams to move on to higher classes in 2015 which will mean leaving the island to further their year 11 studies elsewhere but year 8 will remain to continue their studies in year 9 at Santa Maria.

“We will expand to create year 11,12 and even 13 right here on this island when the time is right. In the meantime, I wish to thank the Ministry and the Department of Education and the Vanuatu Government for recognizing and allowing us to introduce the junior secondary levels at the Santa Maria French School here on Gaua,” said the Principal Kevin Sharky.