Pallotti High honours its music students

In a climate in which scarce resources dictate a basic “no frills” approach to education, this Belize City high school for girls stands out in its broad based approach to learning. And today that dedication to subjects beyond the “three Rs” was rewarded as St. Vincent Pallotti High recognised a record sixteen students for achievement in the field of music.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Today the three hundred and fifty four students from Pallotti High School had good reasons to celebrate. It is the first time in over twenty years that so many students from just one class have passed with distinction the Royal School of Music Theory Examination.

Fransin Cain, Music Teacher, Pallotti High School
?I wasn?t surprise because I am a lieutenant, you would say. I drive hard and I work only for the highest and sometimes the girls they would get upset, but I worked with them or we quarrel, we fight but they stills at with me and they did it.?

The music teacher and a former graduate of the examination Fransin Cain says she is proud of her students and their parents commitment to the programme.

Fransin Cain
?This is an international exam and we have students who when they are finished with their education and sixth form, they decided to go abroad and study and it is an asset to them when they go into the university abroad. You get credits when you sit these exams and you pass them and you have the results the papers with them.?

Students who enrol at Pallotti must learn to play at least one instrument. This early introduction to music helps these young ladies discover their individual talents. Those students like fifteen year old Shakira Perera, who decide to remain with the program, have had no regrets.

Shakira Perera, Student, Pallotti High School
?Because music to me, taking music,it relieves a lot of stress. Music and sports relieve stress for me and that is why I take music. So when I am stressed out, I go to music and it relieves my stress or go and play sports and it relieves my stress. I plan to continue it to further my development in music and then I?ll see where I end up.?

So far, Perera has done exceptional work. She is the exam?s top scorer. Perera says she believes it was her teacher?s dedication and hard work that made her achieve a grade of ninety-seven.

Shakira Perera
?I knew that the exam was easy. After taking the exam the day, I went to Mrs. Cain and told her the exam was very easy and it?s everything you have given us. I expected that I would get high but I did not expect to get the top score. But I got it so I am glad.?

The annual exam is not only offered to Pallotti girls but to any other music students from across the country. Among the graduates receiving their certificates was twelve year old Jodi Murillo, a standard six student of Holy Redeemer Primary School. Murillo, who just happens to be the music teacher?s son, says while it was expected of him to be interested in the programme he is just proud that a decision to accompany mom every Saturday to her music classes resulted in great success.

Jodi Murrillo, Music Graduate
?It was pretty easy but the work that we had to do was a little bit too hard for the exam but overall the exam was pretty easy.?

Fransin Cain
?It helps them to be disciplined. It?s a part of a disciplined programme. When you do music it teaches you to be precise; it teaches you to follow instructions; it teaches you to concentrate and focus.?

But as Murillo celebrates her students? achievements she is deeply concerned about the lack of music teachers that she says is affecting the program that has grown tremendously over the pats two decades.

Fransin Cain
?We are not talking about Piano. We have a lot of Piano teachers but we have a few Violin teachers like myself and Mr. Colville Young Jr. and Trisha Fairweather. Our music programme is growing so large that we don?t have enough teachers to teach all of them. We got to be turning back students. So if I work with these girls, get them all interested and one day decide out of this amount we get maybe two or three teachers, that would be good and that?s my thing to get them really interested.?