Leaders Celebrate Government-Sponsored School Expansion in Grenada

Seventh-day Adventist leaders, government officials, educators, students, and church members recently gathered on the campus of Grenada Seventh-day Adventist Comprehensive School on Mount Rose, St. Patrick’s, in Grenada. Together, they celebrated the newest facilities and upgrades completed weeks before the school year begins.

The government-sponsored facelift to the Adventist secondary school includes two state-of-the-art multi-science labs, a home economics workshop, and administrative offices in the new wing. In addition, the school was painted, the electrical work was upgraded, and a new library and washrooms were added.

Funds for the school expansion are part of Grenada’s efforts to revamp its educational entities to ensure that students are best prepared to contribute in a technologically advanced global marketplace, government officials said. Work on the new facilities and refurbished areas in the school began in 2021 and was completed at the end of June this year, thanks to a donation of US$62,000 dollars.

Official Commendations of the School

Grenada education minister David Andrew presented the keys of the new wing to Kimlyn De Coteau, principal of the Grenada school, during the ceremony. “The government understands education and its importance to the socio-economic development of Grenada,” Andrew said. “It is the reason we keep investing in it.”

St. Patrick East parliamentary representative Dennis Cornwall commended the school for its commitment to education. “This handing over dovetails with the social outreach programs provided by the government and its emphasis on education as a priority in its transformation agenda,” he said. “The real value is in the quality of education output resulting from this.”

Clinton Lewis, president of the Grenada Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, agreed and added he was grateful for the opportunity to make this dream come true. “The rehabilitation and expansion of this school has been a dream and a burning desire of ours for many years,” he said. “As we experience the handing over of this facility today, we rejoice and we give thanks for this very unique experience.” The institution, established in 1972, is the only Adventist secondary school on the island.

The development of the school represents a turning point in the pursuit of educational excellence for the institution and the entire community, Clara Bhola, education director of the Grenada Conference, said. “With these enhanced facilities, students will now have access to cutting-edge resources and a conducive learning environment that will empower them to reach new heights of academic achievement.”

About the Grenada School

Grenada SDA Comprehensive School is a parochial learning center that offers secondary level courses from traditional fields of study such as humanities, math, and science. Other practical electives include home economics, woodworking, and industrial art (drafting). Currently, the school prepares students to take the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination.

In September 1958, the school opened its doors with 19 students enrolled. It operated under the name Mount Rose Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School and was housed at the Mount Rose Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In July 1972, the Grenada government formally donated the land on which the school now stands. Excavation was underway in September 1972.  A generous gift from the British government ensured that construction was completed by May 1973 and ready for student occupancy. That building is still in use. The name was then changed to Grenada Seventh-day Adventist Comprehensive School. It is one of three educational entities including two primary schools operated by the Adventist Church in Grenada.

“The wholistic approach of Adventist Christian education continues to positively impact the community and influence scores of families to seek the services of the school on behalf of hundreds of children,” De Coteau said. “Many week-of-prayer sessions have been conducted at the school, and scores of students have made decisions to accept Jesus as their Savior.”

The recent refurbishment project is one of several collaborative efforts initiated by the local government in support of Adventist Christian education, De Coteau said. The school sees an average of 280 students enrolled every year.

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.