New high school ‘to open in January’

A new secondary school, the New Horizons Academy, is to be added next term to the current slate of schools here, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw has revealed.

But details were sketchy on its enrollment size, its academic and extracurricular programmes and the role it is likely to play in Government’s proposed transition from the Common Entrance Examination to a two-year primary exit assessment.

She told the Government Public Affairs Department programme — Education Transformation Programme – Update 2–on Sunday, there was a discussion on expanding the offerings available to prospective students as they transition from primary level to higher education.

She said: “The New Horizons Academy has been earmarked to be a secondary school from January – there has been much discussion within the Ministry of education with regard to the type of programming we will have at the school…. we understand also that there are schools across Barbados that exceed the capacity, and having this school as a secondary school would allow those schools to at least experience some relief when it comes to the number of students within the classroom.”

Dr Bradshaw indicated that principals of other secondary schools will be able to make recommendations on which students they can transfer to the new school in the coming weeks. But it was not immediately known what criteria will be chosen for determining who should be transferred. (SB)