Wesley High School is celebrating 125 years of education and today they underscored that with the opening of a new first form building. At 4,300 square feet and costing $479,000, it will house five classrooms - all first forms. It's the fourth new building that's come from the partnership between area representative Mark Espat and the school management. And today, Methodist Church Leader C. David Goff said it's been very fruitful.
Rev. David Goff,
"Here at Wesley College we look at the library annex, we look at the junior college building right over here, and we look at the music education center and we have to acknowledge that one name keeps ringing in our ears: Mark Espat. Today we add another building to that impressive list."
Hon. Mark Espat, Albert Area Rep.
"I believe we can build this shining skyscraper, a new Belize, a nation of over-achieving students, high paid workers, safe neighborhoods, fair taxes, a robust middle class, shareholders in our national wealth, not just speculators and spectators, and homeowners not just weekly renters. The pride that we all share in Wesley College is rooted in an elaborate history of achievements. This was the first high school in the settlement in 1882, I believe then called St. George's School; the first high school to admit boys and girls or to go co-ed as we say; the first sixth form in the country; and of course more recently the first and only center for music education in Belize. Crowded with achievements, the contribution of Wesley College are writ large upon the education history of our country."
Oscar Alonzo, SIF
"The benefits of this building should be judged if we come back here in twenty five years time to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the college to see what a generation of students have come out of this building, to then see whether this building has provided the opportunity for you young people to sharpen your analytical skills, to sharpen your character traits, to sharpen your social consciousness."
Jules Vasquez,
Will this significantly change the intake or will it just create an easement in some areas?
Rev. David Goff,
"It will do both because I think
perhaps next year, Wesley College, each year we find the enrollment at Wesley College is going up. We are now at 600 and it continues to grow and we have to be mindful that Wesley College has become a very high profile high school in our country. It has always been in times past but we are sort of rediscovering those former years of glory."
Jules Vasquez,
How important is it for this community, for the south side in general, to feel that we have a top class high school as well?
Rev. David Goff,
"Extremely important because you know the mindset in Belize is that when you cross the bridge and head north, all the better educational institutions are on that side. I think this says a lot for southside."
The morning was filled out by the sounds of the Wesley School Band. For the second floor, principal Brenda Armstrong will now launch a building blocks drive.
