SCS in St. John’s
SABA--In an effort to improve quality and increase participation in school, Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) reached out to students, parents, staff, school board and the wider community to seek feedback on a variety of school-related topics through a newly-formed body. The School Advisory Council (SAC) is designed to represent the school and the wider community.
The first SAC meeting was held early September 2020. At this meeting concerns were voiced about adequate preparation for and information about tertiary education for students at the end of Form 5.
In an effort to provide parents with more information, SCS organised five information evenings for parents and students. The first meeting was held with Calvin Mardembrough from St. Maarten, via Zoom, on November 4, 2020. A general information session about study financing, visas and grants was held at SCS on November 9, 2020. Zoom presentations were given by several Dutch colleges later that month.
SCS continued in January 2021 with information sessions geared towards studying in specific regions in the Caribbean, the United States, the Netherlands and Canada.
“We are very happy that the parents, guardians and students took the opportunity to be present,” care coordinator Carol Irvine-Skinner stated.
During the information evenings, students who studied in the various regions shared their stories and experiences about their educational journey. “We are very grateful that persons from our community came out to share their story,” SCS principal Anton Hermans said. “This surely contributed to providing clarity to parents and students in making a well-informed choice and to be better prepared for tertiary education.”
Even though the turnout was not what was expected, SCS said it looks back positively on the sessions held and aims to continue with these sessions in the coming years.
