Signal Hill students enjoy “brand-new” computer lab

Hope came unexpectedly and in abundance for 27 students of Signal Hill Secondary School who are benefitting from the complete refurbishment of the school’s computer lab. The project was financed by BP Trinidad and Tobago and marked by a handing-over ceremony at the school on April 16.

The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Division of Education, collaborated on the project. Delivering the feature address at the handover, Marisha Osmond, Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Chief Secretary, and a graduate and former teacher of the school, described the project as a benchmark contribution.

BPTT has made sterling investment in young people all across Tobago in areas such as academics, sports and culture. This isn’t just a classroom – it is a gateway to the future.

“Signal Hill and BPTT have set a great example for us, and we must all do our part in providing opportunities for young people by fostering an empowered and productive population,” Osmond said.

Signal Hill students who will write the Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM) subject as part of their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations this May, did not have a functional computer lab until thus intervention by BPTT.

Joel Primus, Community Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations Advisor at BPTT, urged the students to make the world a better place.

“When we got the request from Signal Hill, we immediately understood the critical need of the students and responded with urgency. BPTT is committed to the development of our nation and nowhere is this more important than in creating opportunities for young people to achieve their full potential… Just as we have partnered with the Tobago House of Assembly and Signal Hill Secondary for this project, I hope that you all partner with each other as students and friends and take Tobago even further along the pathway to a brighter future of sustainable development,” he said.

The project was completed in two weeks of the Easter vacation, and opened for the new school term. It included installation of new, networked computers, whiteboards, a printer and projector as well as refurbishment of the air-conditioning units, electrical installations and the general aesthetics of the lab.

Form Five student Janelle George welcomed the lab on behalf of students.

“To be completely honest, we were very despondent when we were confronted with the possibility that we might not get a fair chance to succeed in the EDPM exams. Then we were told that BPTT would be helping us and it felt so good to come out to the first day of the new term and walk into our brand-new computer lab. We’re going to work hard together to ensure that we repay this investment in us…”

School principal, Allyson Potts, welcoming the timely intervention of BPTT in refurbishing the lab, noted that under the guidance of EDPM Coordinator, Pearl Alman-George, the school was accustomed to attaining a 100 percent pass rate in the subject.

Alman-George noted that the “students were patient, and although it was difficult, they never gave up hope.

“That’s what BPTT means to them right now – the realisation of their deepest hopes. I’ll be retiring soon, but I know that with this computer lab, Signal Hill students will benefit for years to come and they will continue to be our shining beacons on the hill.”