Golden shovels break the ground for a new school

(L-r) on the golden shovels: Helena McVeigh, Joy
Basdeo, Nyda Flatley, Edna Moyle, Hon Gilbert McLean,
Mary Rodrigues, H.E the Governor Bruce Dinwiddy,
Arden Mclean, Anthony Eden, and Hon Roy Bodden

Attendees at the ceremony offer a prayer for the new
school

Friday,  March 4, 2005

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Clifton Hunter Memorial High School took place on Tuesday 2 March, on a brand new site, adjacent to Frank Sound Fire Station. Among those attending the event were H.E the Governor, Bruce Dinwiddy, Edna Moyle MLA for North Side, and Hon Roy Bodden, Minister for Education.

The new school’s target date for completion is September 2007. When it is finished, it will accommodate 750-800 students from the catchments of North Side, East End and Bodden Town.

The new school began with an idea from North Side’s MLA Edna Moyle, in 1984: “I saw children of North Side waiting for the school bus at the side of the road early in the morning, in the dark,” she said. “I realized that their day started earlier and finished later than that of children nearer to George Town, and that was putting them at a disadvantage.” Like Martin Luther King, Ms Moyle had a dream, she said, campaigning for a high School in the Frank Sound area.

During his address, Mr Bodden, explained that the school had its genesis in 1999 when he and Ms Moyle, at that time both members of the Opposition, bought a motion for a new high school before the Legislative Assembly. “If the truth be known, it was more her (Ms Moyle’s) idea than mine,” he said. The pair were successful, and the motion was accepted.

Acknowledging the efforts of previous visionaries in the educational establishment, Mr Bodden said: “We can only build on the efforts of previous ministers” he said, going on to explain how fortunate the Cayman Islands are in not suffering from the destructive party-political tribalism that so many other Caribbean countries had suffered from, and that the present project was a testimony to the abilities of politicians to rise above party political differences in important areas such as education. 

In the same spirit, Mr Bodden explained that naming the school after the late Clifton Hunter was fitting because of his vision and foresight in the world of education. He paid tribute to Mr Hunter for being one of the people who encouraged him, among many others, to become a teacher.
Mr Bodden said that the new school is part of an overall plan to establish ‘state-of-the-art’ schools in George Town and West Bay in addition to the one at Frank Sound.

Referring to the groundbreaking ceremony he said: “We are a part of history, but I remind you that this is just the beginning; we will need to find the money not just to build this school, but also to build the proposed High School in West Bay as well.”

It is envisioned that the new school will be thoroughly up-to-date, featuring interactive electronic whiteboards instead of old-fashioned blackboards, and may also feature a prestigious 5,000-seater auditorium, which will be used as a theatre or for conferences. 

At the end of her address, Ms Moyle, said: “Thank you that we have held hands across political parties. Thank you to for making my dream a reality.”

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