Senior Reporter
otto.carrington@cnc3.co.tt
Dressed in vintage attire and full of pride, students at the Gloster Lodge Moravian School brought history to life yesterday, as the institution marked its 130th anniversary by celebrating a rich legacy while renewing calls for a long-overdue new school building.
“June 25th is our official birthday, and we felt it was important to mark the occasion,” principal Claudette Governor said.
“Our theme this year is honouring the past, empowering the future, and today’s celebration was a way to help students understand the strength and history we come from.”
Children went to school dressed as elders or figures from past eras, participating in a day of reflection and learning.
“Some dressed as old people, others in clothing from different periods. It was a chance to help them feel what it might have been like,” Governor said.
With roots going back to the era of slavery, the Gloster Lodge Moravian School was born out of the Moravian Church’s mission to educate the oppressed, she said.
“As a born Moravian from Tobago, I know the legacy well,” Governor explained.
“John Montgomery came here to teach enslaved Africans, and that mission has continued. In Tobago, we gave our schools to the government, but Trinidad retained two and Gloster Lodge is one.”
But even as the school celebrates, it is facing serious infrastructural challenges.
“We have outgrown this building. We have no space for play, no space for real activities. If you look around, the walls are literally crumbling,” Governor said.
“We have been advocating for a new school because our children deserve better.”
Currently, students travel to the Queen’s Park Savannah every Thursday for physical education classes due to the lack of facilities on site.
Despite these challenges, the school remains determined to celebrate its 130th year throughout the next academic term, starting with a church service and graduation ceremony tomorrow.
“We have produced great minds, and we are committed to continuing that trend,” Governor said.
“But to do that, we need the support to rebuild not just physically, but in spirit. Today’s celebration reminds us of our strength, but we must also build a future worthy of our past.”