Letters by our parents and past students

Ramona Bicar ISSL

Essay about "Tuition"          March 4th 2010

In many countries education is either free or available at areasonable cost. There are also private schools which are moreexpensive than public schools. In my school ISSL, many studentscomplain about the tuition but I think the price is satisfactory. ISSLstands for the International School of St. Lucia and is a privatecoeducational school. It is a Canadian-curriculum based school whichprovides students with a high quality education. Although it's themost expensive school on the island, there are many reasons for thisexpense: our well trained experienced teachers that we are providedwith, our comfortable rooms with air conditioners, and educational,online courses that allow the students to graduate with a Canadiandiploma. We are taught by well trained experienced teachers that come fromall different backgrounds. Most of them have a Canadian orinternational backgrounds while a few others are from St. Lucia. Theseteachers travel great distances to come and teach us. In fact, theysacrifice their usual income to come and educate us so that we canhave a better future. We also assume that these teachers get paid wellhowever, this is not true. The majority of these teachers are Canadianand receive our EC currency which is extremely low compared to theCanadian dollar. Besides all this the teachers always want the bestfor us so they are always willing to give us extra lessons that we donot pay for. All they want is for us to do well and excel. Unlike other schools, our learning environment is comfortable,which allows us to focus on our studies. The air conditioning systemthat we receive during school hours is very pricey and as students wefail to realize this. Class room sizes are very spacious and decoratedwith various posters on the walls. There are at least two book shelvesin each class that are filled with a range of books from textbooks tonovels. Textbooks and other school supplies are provided throughoutthe year along with other resources. All of these things are includedin the tuition that we pay every month. At the end of our high school years we gain an Canadian diplomawhich allows us to pursue our dreams. The Diploma is issued by NewBrunswick, one province in Canada and allows us to go to anyuniversity of our choice and even work all over the world. Theeducation we gain cannot be compared to any other school on theisland. Education like this is priceless and we shouldn't becomplaining about tuition. We are very fortunate to have anInternational school like this on our small island and should not takeit for granted. The money that is spent on tuition is well worth it asstudents are getting more than their money's worth with the quality ofeducation that they are getting. I believe that the tuition for ISSLis definitely worth every penny and hope that others realizeeverything that this tuition goes towards all the comforts, resourcesand privileges that are provided to us.

A letter from Anna, our first graduate, now in University of Limerick, Ireland:

"Everything here is good, exams are starting soon, and then I'm coming home! The course is so interesting I absolutely love it. We do livehorse labs, dissecting the different systems within the horse, as wellas, riding sessions on Wednesdays. The leaves have all changed colourand it is getting super cold! I joined the rowing team, the rugby team, and I went mountain biking about a month ago. Probably the most exciting thing is that I joined the skydiving society and did my first jump about three weeks ago. I'm really enjoying my time here but I can't wait to come home! I see that there are a whole load of new teachers and students! I can't wait to come see the school in January"

January 2011 update 

 The International School Saint Lucia congratulates Anna Vlugman (the first ISSL graduate in 2009) on receiving the International Student Merit Bursary Award from the University of Limerick, Ireland, where she continues her second year of studies in Equestrian Science.  This award of 500 Euros was an exciting surprise to Anna, who is enjoying her studies, travel, and the game of rugby in Ireland.  We are proud of Anna's achievements to date!

" This is the most wonderful opportunity I have found to give mydaughter an all round education. Children are taught to participate inclass discussions and give an opinion rather than being told thatthere is a certain way to think. I have made the best decision I canin sending my daughter to this amazing school. The most important thing a parent can do is invest in their child's education. I am happyto have done this at ISSL. I am totally dedicated to this school and my child is both mentally stimulated and challenged. Mrs. Angela Gustave (daughter Aiasha Gustave, Grade 12)

 http://www.trinidadexpress.com/woman-magazine/Aiasha_Gustave-101703368.html