As the Christmas break nears for school students, administrators are encouraging them not to abandon their studies over the break. Three weeks of television, video games and freedom is the dream for any 14-year-old, but when school reopens in January, educators often opine that students lose much of what was previously acquired. The holiday season is a good time to revise, read and retain what was learned, stressed principals from three government schools on New Providence.
"We know ninth graders and twelfth graders have the Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exams coming up in the end of May, beginning of June and so they need revision for those subjects," said Theophilus Claridge, principal of A.F. Adderly Junior High School. "Some of the students have coursework that they need to work on and they need to do research and this is a good time. Besides researching online, they can go to the library." L.W. Young Junior High School Principal Janet Nixon said the Christmas break is time for national exam students to build momentum for tests to come.
"During Christmas most of them should be doing their coursework, especially our BJC students," she said. "I am encouraging my students to study even though they are home on holiday." She regards focus on reading as paramount to student success. "In our language arts department, students have been given a booklet with assigned books to read and words to learn," Nixon said. "So they are expected to cover certain topics and give a book report when they come back in January." The L.W. Young principal added that what students do with their time during any break from school is crucial.
"It's a really important time because I find too many of them are falling through the cracks," Nixon said. "We were encouraging parents to partner with us to monitor what the students are doing." There are educational Christmas gifts parents can buy this season that help students develop academically, Nixon noted. "Give the children a Kindle so they can read," Nixon suggested.
"That's what we did for our students at the honor roll assembly and they loved it." Nicolette Brown, principal at D.W. Davis Junior High School, echoed Nixon's views. "For my students here, particularly my ninth graders, for them I think it is imperative that they begin their study time now for BJC which is only a few short months away," she said. "Although it is a festive season -- yes I know you need some time to relax and enjoy family and friends and church and Junkanoo and all of the Christmas things -- they still need to find some time to begin their studying after their final exams... they need to stay in examination mode."
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