Port Kaituma Community School
Encyclopedia
Port Kaituma Community School (PKCS) is a learning centre located in Port Kaituma
within the Barima-Waini administrative region of Guyana
, located at 7°44′N 59°53′W.
, the then President of Guyana, PKCS was part of a major vision to populate Guyana
's hinterland regions in a bid to make the country more self sufficient. Nearby Matthew's Ridge
was even touted as a prospective new capital city due to its rich manganese
resources.
During its heyday, the school boasted over 800 students sent from all over Guyana. Most of these students were housed in the nearby school dormitories. The school also had its own farm, ball field and agricultural patch. The decline of the region following the deceased manganese operations and the abandonment of the hinterland population project meant Port Kaituma was no longer a priority and the area experienced an economic downturn. The school numbers fell and the dorms were abandoned towards the end of the 1980's. Most of the beds were transferred to Kaituma's now more affluent neighbour Mabaruma
and its North West Secondary School. The farm has since been invaded by the encroaching rainforest.
Such was the deterioration of the school (in 2002 a secondary pupil fell through the floorboards) that the matter was taken up with the World Bank. Unfortunately only the secondary department was accepted for the project and following extensive refurbishment the school was re-opened amidst typical governmental style celebration in time for the 2003/04 academic year.
Whilst the refurbishing made a fantastic improvement to the aesthetics of the building and improved many of the facilities, such as the Home Economics department and Science laboratory, fundamental teaching resources remain absent. Fundraising by the PTA and donations from former volunteers were needed to have enough seats for all the students. Water butts collecting rain water mean for much of the year the taps work but no gas canister means the gas taps in Science don't work and there no nothing to heat the ovens in H.E. Perhaps most importantly there is a lack of teachers. Many of the already underqualified Primary teachers are required to step in and in 2002 Project Trust
started sending two volunteer teachers per year to PKCS to bolster the teaching team, and since 2005 worldteach volunteers from America have been teaching at the Primary and Secondary schools. Peacecorps has also started this year to send volunteers but they are not officially attached to the school. In November 2007, Sir Adams was replaced as HM by Miss Brittlebank.
In addition to the school complex the Teachers Quarters was built to house teaching staff from the school, located a short walk from the school and just off the main road from Kaituma to the Backdam. Dr. Kenneth Hunte, Guyanese Director of Education, in an address to the PKCS teaching staff following the grand re-opening was quoted as asking "Do they still have trees growing in the gutter?", such is the state of disrepair that these houses have also now fallen into.
, Tolerance
, Integrity
and Respect
.
Port Kaituma
Port Kaituma is a small town within the Barima-Waini administrative region of Guyana, located at .- History :Although an Amerindian settlement has existed along the Kaituma River for some time, it was only after the discovery of manganese at nearby Matthew's Ridge that Port Kaituma was developed...
within the Barima-Waini administrative region of Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, located at 7°44′N 59°53′W.
Overview
Incorporating the Nursery, Primary and Secondary departments, the Community School provides an important educational resource to the towns youngsters providing the opportunity to break free from the otherwise inevitable employment in gold mining and its support services.History
Built in the times of Forbes BurnhamForbes Burnham
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was the leader of Guyana from 1964 until his death, first as Premier from 1964 to 1966, then as the Prime Minister from 1966 to 1980 and finally as President from 1980 to 1985....
, the then President of Guyana, PKCS was part of a major vision to populate Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
's hinterland regions in a bid to make the country more self sufficient. Nearby Matthew's Ridge
Matthew's Ridge
Matthew's Ridge is a small town within the Barima-Waini administrative region of Guyana. It is located at .-History:During the 1960s, Matthews Ridge was being considered as a potential area in which to relocate the capital city of Guyana...
was even touted as a prospective new capital city due to its rich manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
resources.
During its heyday, the school boasted over 800 students sent from all over Guyana. Most of these students were housed in the nearby school dormitories. The school also had its own farm, ball field and agricultural patch. The decline of the region following the deceased manganese operations and the abandonment of the hinterland population project meant Port Kaituma was no longer a priority and the area experienced an economic downturn. The school numbers fell and the dorms were abandoned towards the end of the 1980's. Most of the beds were transferred to Kaituma's now more affluent neighbour Mabaruma
Mabaruma
Mabaruma is the administrative centre for Region One of Guyana. It is located close to the Aruka River on a narrow plateau above the surrounding rainforest at an altitude of 13 metres....
and its North West Secondary School. The farm has since been invaded by the encroaching rainforest.
Such was the deterioration of the school (in 2002 a secondary pupil fell through the floorboards) that the matter was taken up with the World Bank. Unfortunately only the secondary department was accepted for the project and following extensive refurbishment the school was re-opened amidst typical governmental style celebration in time for the 2003/04 academic year.
Today
Project Trust
Project Trust is one of the longest established Gap Year organizations in the UK. It is based at The Hebridean Centre on the island of Coll off the West coast of Scotland where prospective and returning volunteers are required to attend residential selection, training and de-briefing weeks...
started sending two volunteer teachers per year to PKCS to bolster the teaching team, and since 2005 worldteach volunteers from America have been teaching at the Primary and Secondary schools. Peacecorps has also started this year to send volunteers but they are not officially attached to the school. In November 2007, Sir Adams was replaced as HM by Miss Brittlebank.
In addition to the school complex the Teachers Quarters was built to house teaching staff from the school, located a short walk from the school and just off the main road from Kaituma to the Backdam. Dr. Kenneth Hunte, Guyanese Director of Education, in an address to the PKCS teaching staff following the grand re-opening was quoted as asking "Do they still have trees growing in the gutter?", such is the state of disrepair that these houses have also now fallen into.
School Motto
LeadershipLeadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
, Tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
, Integrity
Integrity
Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions...
and Respect
Respect
Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity , and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected...
.