For weeks we've been reporting on the plans for Excelsior high as it is being transitioned into a remedial institution with special outreach to primary school leavers.
But those plans seem to themselves be going through a sort of transition and in the absence of a uniform public information campaign, misinformation and apprehension has invariably taken over.
And so it has in this case, urging the ministry of education to send out one of its epic releases. This one is only 3 pages long, and it outlines the master plan for what will now be a school run in shifts.
The release says the ministry will reach out to "disengaged youth" and allow more young people - including those currently enrolled at Excelsior - to benefit from the school's resources. First off, the release states firmly that third and fourth forms in the traditional sense will be phased out. Students in those classes will have the OPTION of transferring to other schools. The Ministry of Education will assist with those transfers by providing assistance for uniforms and covering the difference in the cost of fees between what they would have paid at Excelsior and what they will be paying at the school to which they are transferring.
Now, for those who stay: the curriculum will be streamlined from first to fourth form to include remedial support and life-skills. That will be taught in the first shift. The second shift, which will be scheduled operate in the second part of the day will focus on life skills, literacy, numeracy and other practical skills. The Ministry will place in this second shift youth who have been out of school for a while.
