Montserrat Secondary School
Secondary school in Montserrat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Montserrat Secondary School, often referred to for short as MSS,[2] is the only secondary school which also has students younger than 16, on the island of Montserrat.[3] The school's campus is in Salem on the western coast of the island. Prior to 2004 it was responsible for Montserrat's sixth form education (post-16); currently Montserrat Community College (MCC) offers Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) sixth-form classes.
(He who does not progress, regresses.)
| Montserrat Secondary School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| 16.7565°N 62.2181°W | |
| Information | |
| Type | Secondary school |
| Motto | Qui Non Proficit Deficit (He who does not progress, regresses.) |
| Established | 1938 |
Principal | Cheryln Hogan |
| Enrollment | Approximately 340 (in 2016)[1] |
| Affiliation | Government of Montserrat |
History
It was established by the 1938 merger of a government boys' secondary school, Montserrat Boys Grammar School and a private girls' secondary school.[4] Originally not all Montserrat citizens had the right to a secondary education, and the school chose which students were admitted. A May 2011 Montserrat government report said that the school "produced excellent results and enjoyed national esteem" at the time.[5] Wealthier families were the main clientele of MSS.[4]
There were 64 students in 1941. In 1955 its senior/modern school opened and in 1971 its junior school opened. The May 2011 government report said that the new divisions "did not substantially alter the elitist nature of the school."[6] The school has had multiple locations before settling in Salem.[4] In 1986 secondary education became universal in Montserrat, and the report said that as well as the 1997 Soufrière Hills volcanic eruption, which reduced the student population altered the school's culture.[6] As a result of the establishment of universal secondary education, MSS established three branch junior school campuses in Dagenham, Salem, and Thompson Field.[4]
In the pre-1997 period it was the sole school with upper secondary education, with its senior secondary division being the Montserrat Senior Secondary School,[7] and its junior secondary being a lower section.[8] The campuses together had 1,043 students in 1988.[9]
The volcanic eruption and population loss resulted in the dissolution of MSS's sixth-form college; Montserrat Community College took over sixth-form studies after opening in 2004.[10] The school has a single campus in Salem. By 2011 the teacher population had a lack of stability, contrasting with local-origin teachers of previous generations. In addition multiple "behavioral problems" had occurred "for several years". In 2011 there were 300 students; some of the school's students had English as a second language as they were immigrants.[6]
Campus
It occasionally closed during ash falls as it is in the volcano's ash shadow.[11] A report from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) said that the school is a long distance from the major settlements in northern Montserrat.[12]
Principals of the Montserrat Secondary School, 1928 – present
- H. G. Carrington (1928–1957)
- Vincent Bennett Browne (1957–1968)
- Mr Holden
- Mr Hoppy
- Charles T. John (1976–1979)
- Peter White (1979–1990)
- Oeslyn Jemmotte (1990–1993)
- Lucy Fenton (1993–1995)
- Camela Watts (1995–1998)
- Kathleen Greenaway (1998–2004)
- Glen Francis (2004–2006)
- Alric Taylor (2006–2009)
- Cherlyn Hogan (2009–2020)
- Tony Allen (2020-2023)
- Cherlyn Hogan (2023–present)
Notable alumni
- Arrow, a calypsonian and soca musician named Alphonsus Celestine Edmund Cassell, who is regarded as the first superstar of soca from Montserrat[13]
- Donaldson Romeo, the second Premier of Montserrat[14]
- Sheree Jemmotte-Rodney, the current acting Attorney General of Montserrat