BOSA Formulates Strategic Plan To Turn Around Beersheba Primary School

Against the backdrop of seven (7) enrolled students at Beersheba Primary School, New Market, Saint Elizabeth migrating from the School across the Parish Border to New Roads All Age School, Westmoreland at the beginning of the New School year in September 2014 and eight (8) students who graduated from Beersheba early Childhood Institution bye-passing Beersheba Primary School for New Roads All Age School, Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) deduced from the strange phenomenon, that Parents in Beersheba Primary School Community have rejected the Education Product that is currently being offered at Beersheba Primary School.

Cognizant that the current student population of 82 and an Academic Teaching Staff of 6 has placed Beersheba Primary School in crisis, Dr. Trevor Hamilton, International Management Consultant and Vincent Samuels, Secretary/Treasurer Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) – both Beersheba Primary School Alumni – decided that so as to quantitatively and qualitatively measure the trend and cause of migration in Beersheba School Community, it was necessary that primary and secondary research should be done to understand what it is that according to the concept of “the better mouse trap “ that New Roads All Age School is doing better than Beersheba Primary School that has caused Parents to reject the Education Product that is being offered at Beersheba Primary School to purchase the Education Product that is being offered at New Roads All Age School instead.

At the end of the primary and secondary research that Dr. Hamilton commissioned and it was done by Vincent Samuels, Secretary/Treasurer Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) – a qualified Marketing Researcher – at New Roads All Age School, Beersheba Early Childhood Institution, Parents who removed their children from Beersheba Primary School and the Principal and Academic Teaching Staff at the School and the Former Chairman of the School Board who resigned from the Board, the data that was collected on September 10, 2014 was sent to Dr. Hamilton for him to do a Comparative Analysis on it so as to ascertain the cause of the strange phenomenon that is occurring at Beersheba Primary School.

At the invitation of Mrs. Tatlin Smith-Williams, Principal and members of the Academic Teaching Staff at Beersheba Primary School, and Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) disgruntled Parents – including a member of the School Board – who removed their children from the School and other PTA members, attended a meeting that was held at Beersheba Primary School on Saturday, September 13, 2014. Dr. Hamilton presented, interpreted and discussed the findings from the Comparative Analysis that he did on the data that was presented to him.
Beersheba Primary School PTA unanimously acquiesced at the meeting that was held at Beersheba Primary School on September 13, 2014, that it would postpone its meeting that was scheduled to be held on September 18, 2014 to September 25, 2014 so as to enable the Association to invite Dr. Hamilton to address the meeting.

So as to ensure that the PTA meeting was well advertised, Beersheba Primary School PTA and Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) saturated churches, other institutions and commercial business places with written and verbal notice about the meeting.

Highlights of Dr. Hamilton’s address to the meeting that was well attended by Councillor Cyril Martin, Parents, members of the Academic Teaching Staff, Principal of the School, Chairman of the School Board and Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) are as follows:

 He is encouraged that the Principal and Academic Teaching Staff, Parents and other Stakeholders have realized and admitted that there is a problem and a crisis exists at Beersheba Primary School.

 He did not attend the meeting to point finger at anyone but to make all Stakeholders aware that Beersheba Primary School to which students from other Schools use to migrate in past years because of the excellent Education Product that was offered at the school, is our School and we must do all we can to turn the School around.

Everyone must be aware that if a shop-keeper is operating a better rum shop than the other shop-keeper down the road, rum drinkers are going to leave the other rum shop and come to the one where customer service and rum that is offered is of a better quality.

 If the turnaround strategy that has been formulated is not implemented expeditiously, and if the present trend continues, since the Government of Jamaica is very concerned about reigning in and reducing fixed costs – teachers’ salaries, utility bills and salaries for ancillary workers – Beersheba Primary School could be closed and students in the dwindling population at the School could be transported to neighbouring Schools in the area.

 Everything must be done to project a positive image of Beersheba Primary School. The initiative taken by Vincent Samuels, Secretary/Treasurer BOSA to call in a Master Welder to get an estimate to provide materials, manufacture and install one double gate at the main entrance to the School is commendable and is a move in the right direction.

Inside View of Beersheba Primary School

Councillor Cyril Martin, Member Parish Council for New Market Parochial Division in bringing greetings to the meeting, lauded the initiative taken by Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) through  its Secretary/Treasurer in bringing a Master Welder to get an estimate to build a double gate to secure the main entrance to the School. Councillor Martin said so impressed he is with BOSA initiative that he would contribute JMD 40,000.00 (50%) to defray the cost of the gates.

When Dr. Hamilton heard Councillor Cyril Martin’s commitment, to a loud applause that came from the audience, he informed the meeting that he would contribute the remaining JMD 40,000.00 (50%) to defray the cost of the gate.

Following greetings that was given by Rev. Phyllis Smith-Seymour, Chairman School Board at Beersheba Primary School and Vote of thanks by Yanique Williams, Secretary Beersheba Primary School PTA, after the singing of the National Anthem of Jamaica, refreshment provided with the courtesy of Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) was served to everyone who attended the meeting.