Indo-Caribbean

Girls' Hindu College on the rise in the Caribbean
wins 15 scholarships

BY DR. KUMAR MAHABIR * 

The news by the Minister of Education that Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College was awarded 15 national scholarships in the CAPE/GCE A' Level Examinations have struck a positive note for the school. The past several years have seen a steady rise in the number of national scholarships going its way. The school is located in St. Augustine across the main road from the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Trinidad and Tobago.

The news of its 15 scholarships has re-established Lakshmi Girls' as a prestigious school. The acquisition of so many scholarships has leveraged the college to position itself as one of the top five secondary schools in the country. Lakshmi Girls' now occupies the same distinguished league as Naparima Girls' High School, St Joseph's Convent (Port of Spain), Naparima (Boys') College and St Augustine Girls' High School (SAGHS). Lakshmi Girls' clinched the same number of scholarships as Holy Faith Convent in Couva.

Lakshmi Girls' is now ranked third in performance in A' Levels among all seven-year schools in north Trinidad. It obtained better results than established schools like Hillview College, St. Joseph's Convent (St Joseph), St. Mary's College and Holy Name Convent (Port of Spain). Hillview secured 13 scholarships, St. Joseph's 11, St. Mary's 9 and Holy Name 9.

Lakshmi Girls' even edged out magnet schools in central and south Trinidad like the two all-boys Presentation colleges, and St. Joseph's Convent in San Fernando. Presentation in Chaguanas won 12 scholarships, Presentation College in San Fernando got 14, and St. Joseph's in San Fernando gained 11.

Presbyterian Christians manage Naparima Girls', Naparima College, SAGHS and Hillview. Roman Catholics control the convents and St. Mary's College. Lakshmi Girls' is the only non-Christian school in the top 13 to secure national scholarships. ASJA Girls' College in San Fernando won 4 scholarships and ASJA Boys' College in the same city succeeded in getting the same number. An analysis of the statistics clearly reveals that the faith-based or denominational colleges are generally performing better than the government secondary schools.

Lakshmi Girls' has travelled a long, hard road to reach this position of prestige. Just before it acquired its imposing building in 1995, it was a dilapidated structure which forced some teachers to hold their classes in the corridors. Opened in 1966, it is a relatively new school compared to St Joseph's Convent in Port of Spain which was established 130 years earlier in 1836. Naparima College was founded in 1894, and Naparima Girls' High School in 1912. The Presbyterian-run schools were established by Canadian missionaries to facilitate the conversion of Hindu children.

Lakshmi Girls' acquisition of 15 scholarships is a continuation of its growing success. In 2008 CXC CSEC examinations, its students achieved  a pass rate of 100 percent in Biology, Physics, Integrated Science, Geography, Economics, Food and Nutrition, and Visual Arts. It also secured more than 95 percent passes in English A, Mathematics, Chemistry, Human and Social Biology, History, Social Studies, French, Spanish, Principles of Business, and Principles of Accounts. The school triumphed with 96 percent of its students attaining full certificates.

Shiva Boys' Hindu College in Penal is another Hindu school to achieved great honour by gaining two national scholarships. The Maha Sabha-managed Hindu college won these awards for the first time with its first batch of A' Level graduates. A late-comer in the CAPE/GCE A' Level programme, Shiva Boys' is likely to be a forerunner in south Trinidad in the near future.

A scientific study should be conducted to determine what percentage of CAPE/GCE A' Levels national scholarship winners from the Catholic and Presbyterian high schools actually came from the Hindu primary and secondary schools. The findings of this proposed study will prove or disprove the hypothesis that a significant number of these scholarship winners are in fact graduates of Hindu schools. 

Dr Kumar Mahabir is Professor, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)an anthropoligst and Chairman, Indo-Caribbean Cultural Council (ICC), President, Association of Caribbean Anthropologists (ACA). His email address is: mahab@tstt.net.tt .