PM: Anglican church helped educate many citizens

THE PRIME MINISTER has praised the Anglican church for its contribution to the development of Trinidad and Tobago.

He was delivering remarks at a thanksgiving service at the St Patrick’s Anglican Church, Mt Pleasant, Tobago, on January 19.

The service, celebrated by Rev Fr Jean Paul Henry, paid tribute to Bishop’s High School’s graduating class of 1966.

Dr Rowley, who is expected to step down as prime minister soon, after serving two terms, attended the school from 1962-1966.

He joined many of his former schoolmates for a weekend of activities in Tobago, which began on January 17 and culminated with an event at Pigeon Point on January 19. It included a dinner at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Blenheim.

The celebration coincides with Bishop’s High School’s centennial observance.

Bishop’s High School, founded by Anglican Bishop Arthur Anstey, was the first public secondary school in Tobago. Its first principal was Barbadian Rawle S Jordon.

The church’s current bishop, the Right Rev Claude Berkley, is also a past student of Bishop’s.

Addressing a congregation, which included a few of his former teachers, current principal Cindy Ramnarine and former independent senator Dr Eastlyn Mc Kenzie, Rowley said the church has played a tremendous role in nurturing the students of the nation.

“The church has been with us for so much of our lives and it gets even more important to us as we get older,” he said.

“In 1962, we entered as the beneficiaries of the pastoral work of this church, in conjunction with the State that gave us that opportunity to have that gift of an education.”

Noting TT became independent in 1962, Rowley recalled that late prime minister Dr Eric Williams, in his independence address in Port of Spain, had told the students at that time they carried "the future of this nation in our schoolbags.”