Foga High fulfilling needs of the community

Shanique Samuels, Gleaner Writer

Foga Road High School is the newest high school in Clarendon. Founded in 2007, the school is operated by the Ministry of Education and was formed out of the dire need for more high school space in Clarendon and St Catherine. Foga High was listed among four other high schools to be added to in Region Six that year to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of students leaving primary school. Only Foga Road High came to fruition.

The realisation of the Foga High dream came through the work of the Ministry of Education complemented by the hard work and dedication of its founding principal, Kerinth Campbell, who never failed to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the concept of forming the school got off the ground.

The school began with 232 students in nine classes with 19 members of staff, all sharing space rented on the Knox Community College's campus on Foga Road, Clarendon.

Faced with a growng school population two years into its operation, frustration began to set in as they had no building of their own despite being promised that one would have been ready three months after the school opened.

However, soon afterwards, work began to take place with the laying of the foundation for the school.

"We had the opportunity of seeing our school being built because there was nothing there. It was just open land being roamed by animals daily, and we are happy to have witnessed the step-by-step process," said the principal.

It was like Christmas in spring when everyone moved over into the brand-new building in April 2009.

The school now has more than 900 students, goes up to grade 11, with a full curriculum. The staff has grown significantly to keep up with the influx of students.

holistic development

Campbell beamed with pride as she took Rural Xpress through the stories of the rigours of getting the school off the ground and then watching it blossom into an institution that caters to the holistic development of its students.

Teachers who have been on the staff since the school began seven years ago said they were happy to have been part of the school since its inception and were as proud as the principal to have had the opportunity to watch it evolve over the years.

According to food and nutrition teacher, Sandra Knight Edwards, "The Foga Road High School now boasts a full cadre of hard-working teachers that you will find nowhere else, who, under the auspices of its devoted and industrious headmistress, have answered the call of duty and are making the very best of the limited resources we are given, and already, we are reaping success."

Foga High is doing well academically as students placed first in the island two consecutive years for physical education at the CSEC level.

Sports is also an integral aspect of the school's curriculum. The school boasts a netball team that defeated all its rivals, making it to the finals of the all-island for high schools netball competition, where they lost to Holmwood in 2012.

The school offers traditional subjects as well as a range of technical and vocational courses to ensure each student learns a skill by the end of his tenure.

In the short term, the principal is eyeing a sixth-form programme as well as adding more vocational subjects to the curriculum.

'Little-known Foga High' is often the phrase used to describe the school whenever it excels. Nonetheless, it is living up to its motto: Reach for the Skies: Realise your Potential.