AS PART of celebrations to commemorate the 275th anniversary of the Wolmer's Boys' and Girls' schools, Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke is to officially declare May 21 as 'Wolmer's Day'.
This was announced at the official launch of activities to mark the special occasion of the island's oldest secondary education institution yesterday at the Wolmer's Girls School auditorium, Marescaux Road, Kingston.
The event was officially launched by Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson, who was the guest speaker at the function. Mrs. Henry-Wilson is also the Member of Parliament for the area where the schools are located.
In highlighting the rich heritage and legacy of the Wolmer's schools, Mrs. Henry-Wilson said the institutions had become a permanent fixture in the island's educational landscape. "But to say that Wolmer's is a permanent part of our country's institutional landscape goes beyond the physical and speaks to a lasting historical legacy," she remarked.
The Education Minister said that the Wolmer's institutions "speak to clear mission, uniqueness of objective and character, visionary leadership, relevance, capacity for change, and an undisputable niche in society."
Mrs. Henry-Wilson pointed to the numerous graduates who had become leaders in all spheres of society. She also praised the teachers and principals of the institutions over the years who set the foundation for the 'excellent agent of learning' the institution had become.
Sterling Soares, chairman of the Wolmer's Trust, who also spoke at the function, reflected proudly on the achievements of the school which was founded on May 21, 1729, by John Wolmer, a Scottish goldsmith living in Kingston. In 1792 when he died, the majority of his estate was willed for the establishment of a free school in the parish.
The series of events to mark the school's history will commence on Sunday, May 16 with a church service at the Kingston Parish Church and end with an awards banquet at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Saturday, May 22. A book outlining the history of Wolmer's, entitled The Legacy of a Goldsmith, The History of Wolmer's written by Professor Patrick Bryan, will also be launched on Thursday, May 20 and the declaration of 'Wolmer's Day' by Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke takes place on Friday.
