History of couva west secondary school
Couva West Secondary School was formerly known as Couva Junior Secondary School.
Couva Junior Secondary School was among the first to open its doors and one of the last to close its doors on the Junior Secondary School System. Couva Junior was a welcome addition to the community as it facilitated the young people who under the past system would never have gained the opportunity of a secondary school education.
The School, located at Balisier Street, Couva registered its first students on 18th September 1972 as a type ‘A’ Shift System school. It was
one of the first batches of this type of school and it hosted a population of approximately 1920 students. The student population was placed on two shifts of 960 each. The classes consisted of several Form 1s, Form 2s and Form 3s. The shift system included a morning and evening shift. Students were placed in shifts based on the locations of their homes; those who lived far were placed on the morning shift. There was a distinct difference in the uniform worn by both shifts. Morning shift students wore a blue top whilst evening shift students wore white.
The first principal of the school, Mr. Roopnarine Ramoutar, a pioneer of Junior Secondary School System has been described by many as the “Father of Couva Junior Secondary.” Fourteen fruitful years later, he retired and was succeeded by Mrs. Victoria de la Grenade for a short period of time and then by Mr. Sushill Pargass, under whose administration the school moved to greater heights. Mr. Sushill Pargass retired on 3rd December 2004. Two individuals fulfilled the post of Acting principal for brief periods after his retirement. They were Mrs. Savitri Ramdial for two months and Mr. Gene Bachus for three months. Mr. Christian Dookhoo assumed his post as acting principal on September 2004 and as the appointed principal in July 2007. He retired in December 2011. The current principal is Ms. Sucilla Mooteram.
The SEMP curriculum came on-stream in 1999 replacing the WISC curriculum. Recent changes included the removal of Industrial Arts, Agricultural Science and Home Economics to be replaced by Technology Education, and the grouping of Music, Drama, and Dance into one subject called Visual and Performing Arts.
After September 2000, the Ministry of Education began placing students who scored under 30% at the Secondary Entrance Examinations (SEE) in the school. This contributed to a decline in discipline at the school, as the students were unable to cope with the curriculum. The late Mrs. Durity and Mr. Bhopal Suguya, the first safety officers of Junior Secondary School, were sent in December 2004 to assist with the indiscipline problems. After the passing of Mrs. Durity (commonly known as “Redhead” to the pupils), she was replaced by Mrs. Vidale in May 2008. These dedicated individuals made a vital, positive impact on the discipline problems at the school, however they were only two people to deal with a population of over nine hundred students. With the passing of Mr. B. Suguya on October 29, 2012 another safety officer Mr. Julien joined the staff at Couva West.
The Ministry of Education began interviews for the post of Dean and Head of Department. On 22ndOctober 2005, the first Dean and Head of Department were appointed. Mrs. Vashti Bissessar was the first Dean and two Heads of Departments were Ms. Helen Paul and Mr. Allan Sieupresad. After many rumours, de-shifting of the Couva Junior Secondary School began. The introduction and initial information for the commencement of the de-shifting and conversion process officially began on the 13th February, 2007. After many consultations, construction of a new school began on 8th June, 2007 on the field adjacent to the existing building. The School was scheduled to be decanted into the new building by September 2010 but the project life was extended.
In September 2008, Couva Junior Secondary School took its place in history. The School was renamed Couva West Secondary School by a cabinet decision which overturned the popularly selected name ‘Couva High School’. This marked the beginning of a new era, when the school had its first intake of form four students along with a reduced intake of form one students. Although it was a great achievement, it was a difficult time. Accommodation was the biggest problem the staff and students had to deal with. After a few weeks, prefabricated buildings were assembled and this allowed the students to be comfortably housed for the school period (8:00 am to 2:15 pm).
New subjects were also introduced such as Principles of Business and Principles of Accounts in 2008. The pioneer for these subjects at this school was Mr. Anthony Rogers. Mrs. Squires came to Couva West in 2009 and she introduced the subjects of EDPM and Office Procedures to the Form Fours. During this time, posts such as Dean and Head of Department were filled internally. Each subject area had an acting head where one was not appointed. Several teachers were asked to fill the post of acting dean and along with the appointed deans, there was a total of ten individuals in the deanery. Several committees were formed and the existing ones were enhanced such as the Special Events, Assembly and so forth.
Prefects, both school and class, became a dominant factor in the school’s daily life. The student council was formed and the first elected president was Mr. Brandon Valley. Mr. Valley has held the post of President of the Student Council for the past four years. The members of the Student Council took a very active role in the running of the school. They initiated the first Teacher’s Appreciation Day, Student of the Month and many more innovative ideas. Another area that got a breath of life was the House System. Couva West Secondary has a very active house system with competitions throughout the term. Under the watchful and dedicated supervision of physical education teachers, the children are exposed to all sporting events which now include swimming, aerobics and hockey. The house system is not only limited to the sporting events but has expanded to all internal competitions such as Carnival. The Sports Committee, which consists of the Physical Education department, a representative of each house and Mr. Rajesh Maraj, has tried to and has been successful in implementing the house system on the basis of rewards and punishments. Loyalty to the house assigned to the students is an ongoing
process. Extracurricular activities were established. The first Checkers club was born. The children who were not into the physical activities were now being afforded the chance to be in a group thanks to the dedicated Mr. Rajesh Maraj and Mr. Vishnu Panchoo. The environmental club was also up and running, thanks to Mr. Poonwassie and the Christian Charity Team by Mr. Rohan Rambally and Mrs.
Evelyn Weston. The Charity Team performed for the first time at the Home for the Aged in Couva on Thursday, March 11, 2010. Over the years, this school has been the envy of many of its counterparts. It has prospered beyond expectations. It has made massive strides in the fields of academics, culture, sport and many other areas.
In the academic field, Couva Junior has been quite outstanding. On many occasions it has topped the list in one subject or another. For the first nine years, the school never failed to place in the top three among the Junior Secondary Schools, except in 1981, when it placed fifth. In fact, the school was awarded the most scholarships among the Junior Secondary Schools for that period. In 1983, it won the 10thAnniversary CARICOM Quiz and was rewarded with a trip to Barbados. The school continued to excel placing first in Metalwork and second in Woodwork in the Industrial Arts “Test of Skills Competition” held in 1984. Couva Junior Secondary successfully placed first and second in the Food and Nutrition Public Speaking Competition in the Chaguanas District in 1985. The school reached its milestone in artistic achievement during the years in 1981 to 1991. Couva Junior Secondary School was the National Winner in Choral Speaking in 1989 with Mahindra Poonwassie placing second in the Annual Literacy Completion in 1991. In 1990, Susan Badri attained the Certificate of Excellence in dancing at the San Fernando Arts Festival. Other certificates copped by the school included Certificate of Merit in Calypso
and Drama and Certificate of Excellence in Dance and Creative Writing. Graduates of this school have also received national governmental scholarships at the Advanced Level Examinations. The first recorded by the school was Rosemarie Rampersad in 1985. In 2007, the school received national recognition when Jenelle Dyal received an award from the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for being the highest achiever at the National Certificate Secondary Education. Graduates of CJS are found in almost every facet of the community. They are teachers, lawyers, athletes and doctors. Many more hold other prestigious positions in society.
Couva Junior Secondary School was among the first to open its doors and one of the last to close its doors on the Junior Secondary School System. Couva Junior was a welcome addition to the community as it facilitated the young people who under the past system would never have gained the opportunity of a secondary school education.
The School, located at Balisier Street, Couva registered its first students on 18th September 1972 as a type ‘A’ Shift System school. It was
one of the first batches of this type of school and it hosted a population of approximately 1920 students. The student population was placed on two shifts of 960 each. The classes consisted of several Form 1s, Form 2s and Form 3s. The shift system included a morning and evening shift. Students were placed in shifts based on the locations of their homes; those who lived far were placed on the morning shift. There was a distinct difference in the uniform worn by both shifts. Morning shift students wore a blue top whilst evening shift students wore white.
The first principal of the school, Mr. Roopnarine Ramoutar, a pioneer of Junior Secondary School System has been described by many as the “Father of Couva Junior Secondary.” Fourteen fruitful years later, he retired and was succeeded by Mrs. Victoria de la Grenade for a short period of time and then by Mr. Sushill Pargass, under whose administration the school moved to greater heights. Mr. Sushill Pargass retired on 3rd December 2004. Two individuals fulfilled the post of Acting principal for brief periods after his retirement. They were Mrs. Savitri Ramdial for two months and Mr. Gene Bachus for three months. Mr. Christian Dookhoo assumed his post as acting principal on September 2004 and as the appointed principal in July 2007. He retired in December 2011. The current principal is Ms. Sucilla Mooteram.
The SEMP curriculum came on-stream in 1999 replacing the WISC curriculum. Recent changes included the removal of Industrial Arts, Agricultural Science and Home Economics to be replaced by Technology Education, and the grouping of Music, Drama, and Dance into one subject called Visual and Performing Arts.
After September 2000, the Ministry of Education began placing students who scored under 30% at the Secondary Entrance Examinations (SEE) in the school. This contributed to a decline in discipline at the school, as the students were unable to cope with the curriculum. The late Mrs. Durity and Mr. Bhopal Suguya, the first safety officers of Junior Secondary School, were sent in December 2004 to assist with the indiscipline problems. After the passing of Mrs. Durity (commonly known as “Redhead” to the pupils), she was replaced by Mrs. Vidale in May 2008. These dedicated individuals made a vital, positive impact on the discipline problems at the school, however they were only two people to deal with a population of over nine hundred students. With the passing of Mr. B. Suguya on October 29, 2012 another safety officer Mr. Julien joined the staff at Couva West.
The Ministry of Education began interviews for the post of Dean and Head of Department. On 22ndOctober 2005, the first Dean and Head of Department were appointed. Mrs. Vashti Bissessar was the first Dean and two Heads of Departments were Ms. Helen Paul and Mr. Allan Sieupresad. After many rumours, de-shifting of the Couva Junior Secondary School began. The introduction and initial information for the commencement of the de-shifting and conversion process officially began on the 13th February, 2007. After many consultations, construction of a new school began on 8th June, 2007 on the field adjacent to the existing building. The School was scheduled to be decanted into the new building by September 2010 but the project life was extended.
In September 2008, Couva Junior Secondary School took its place in history. The School was renamed Couva West Secondary School by a cabinet decision which overturned the popularly selected name ‘Couva High School’. This marked the beginning of a new era, when the school had its first intake of form four students along with a reduced intake of form one students. Although it was a great achievement, it was a difficult time. Accommodation was the biggest problem the staff and students had to deal with. After a few weeks, prefabricated buildings were assembled and this allowed the students to be comfortably housed for the school period (8:00 am to 2:15 pm).
New subjects were also introduced such as Principles of Business and Principles of Accounts in 2008. The pioneer for these subjects at this school was Mr. Anthony Rogers. Mrs. Squires came to Couva West in 2009 and she introduced the subjects of EDPM and Office Procedures to the Form Fours. During this time, posts such as Dean and Head of Department were filled internally. Each subject area had an acting head where one was not appointed. Several teachers were asked to fill the post of acting dean and along with the appointed deans, there was a total of ten individuals in the deanery. Several committees were formed and the existing ones were enhanced such as the Special Events, Assembly and so forth.
Prefects, both school and class, became a dominant factor in the school’s daily life. The student council was formed and the first elected president was Mr. Brandon Valley. Mr. Valley has held the post of President of the Student Council for the past four years. The members of the Student Council took a very active role in the running of the school. They initiated the first Teacher’s Appreciation Day, Student of the Month and many more innovative ideas. Another area that got a breath of life was the House System. Couva West Secondary has a very active house system with competitions throughout the term. Under the watchful and dedicated supervision of physical education teachers, the children are exposed to all sporting events which now include swimming, aerobics and hockey. The house system is not only limited to the sporting events but has expanded to all internal competitions such as Carnival. The Sports Committee, which consists of the Physical Education department, a representative of each house and Mr. Rajesh Maraj, has tried to and has been successful in implementing the house system on the basis of rewards and punishments. Loyalty to the house assigned to the students is an ongoing
process. Extracurricular activities were established. The first Checkers club was born. The children who were not into the physical activities were now being afforded the chance to be in a group thanks to the dedicated Mr. Rajesh Maraj and Mr. Vishnu Panchoo. The environmental club was also up and running, thanks to Mr. Poonwassie and the Christian Charity Team by Mr. Rohan Rambally and Mrs.
Evelyn Weston. The Charity Team performed for the first time at the Home for the Aged in Couva on Thursday, March 11, 2010. Over the years, this school has been the envy of many of its counterparts. It has prospered beyond expectations. It has made massive strides in the fields of academics, culture, sport and many other areas.
In the academic field, Couva Junior has been quite outstanding. On many occasions it has topped the list in one subject or another. For the first nine years, the school never failed to place in the top three among the Junior Secondary Schools, except in 1981, when it placed fifth. In fact, the school was awarded the most scholarships among the Junior Secondary Schools for that period. In 1983, it won the 10thAnniversary CARICOM Quiz and was rewarded with a trip to Barbados. The school continued to excel placing first in Metalwork and second in Woodwork in the Industrial Arts “Test of Skills Competition” held in 1984. Couva Junior Secondary successfully placed first and second in the Food and Nutrition Public Speaking Competition in the Chaguanas District in 1985. The school reached its milestone in artistic achievement during the years in 1981 to 1991. Couva Junior Secondary School was the National Winner in Choral Speaking in 1989 with Mahindra Poonwassie placing second in the Annual Literacy Completion in 1991. In 1990, Susan Badri attained the Certificate of Excellence in dancing at the San Fernando Arts Festival. Other certificates copped by the school included Certificate of Merit in Calypso
and Drama and Certificate of Excellence in Dance and Creative Writing. Graduates of this school have also received national governmental scholarships at the Advanced Level Examinations. The first recorded by the school was Rosemarie Rampersad in 1985. In 2007, the school received national recognition when Jenelle Dyal received an award from the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for being the highest achiever at the National Certificate Secondary Education. Graduates of CJS are found in almost every facet of the community. They are teachers, lawyers, athletes and doctors. Many more hold other prestigious positions in society.