“To What Extent Is Tt True To Say That The Role Of The Anglican Church Was Vital To The

Development Of Education In The British Virgin Islands From 1838-1985”

Candidate names: Candidate Number:

Imran Ashton 0500060010

Destinee Cline 0500060045
Chloe Forbes 0500060061
Sydni Georges 0500060100

Year of Examination: 2022/2023

Subject & Proficiency: Caribbean History

Center Number: 050006

Name of teacher: Shakira Bedminister

 “To What Extent Is Tt True To Say That The Role Of The Anglican Church Was Vital To The

Development Of Education In The British Virgin Islands From 1838-1985”

Candidate names: Candidate Number:

Imran Ashton 0500060010

Destinee Cline 0500060045
Chloe Forbes 0500060061
Sydni Georges 0500060100

Year of Examination: 2022/2023

Subject & Proficiency: Caribbean History

Center Number: 050006

Name of teacher: Shakira Bedminister

1
 Table of Contents

Content Page

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….…….3

Rationale……………………………………………………………………………….………….4

Analysis……………………………………………………………………………….…………..5

Conclusion……………………………………………………………….………………………..8

Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………9

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………10

2
 Introduction

The Anglican church of the British Virgin Islands gave significant contributions in the

area of education and the lives of its students during the post emancipation era, (1838-1985).

Having been the second church/denomination to break away from the Roman Catholic Church,

(according to www.cnn.com) the Anglican Church has always been known for its versatile spin

on all things religion including schools and education. In relation to the research question, the

purpose of this research project is to investigate how vital of a role did the Anglican Church play

in the development of education in the British Virgin Islands during the post emancipation area.

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 Rationale

This topic was chosen as the focal point of the SBA because the researchers, being

students of an Anglican school, were interested in finding out how the religious principles upon

which their school is built on, came to be in the British Virgin Islands. The researchers were

intrigued by the Anglican Church's contribution to the development of education in the British

Virgin Islands and were eager to discover how much of a key role the Anglican Church actually

played in such a fragile time period in Virgin Islands history. The goal of the researchers,

utilizing internet sources, various history books and conducting interviews with Virgin Islander

historians, was to achieve an understanding of the educational role in which the Anglican church

played as well as to gain general knowledge about the Anglican denomination as a whole.

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 Analysis

“The Anglican Church was brought to the West Indies with the original English settlers in

the early part of the 17th century.”, taken from an article published in the ‘Barbados Pocket

Guide’ entitled Anglican, however, from research collected, it is evident that the Anglicans in the

British West Indies did not keep a very good record of themselves before the 1800s. The

aforementioned article speaks about the

migration of Anglican followers from

England to the West Indies (especially in the

British controlled islands). Whether they

came to own plantations or to minister to the

settlers of the colonies and their slaves, it is

with no doubt that the presence of the

Anglicans became much more prevalent in

the British Caribbean from the mid 17th

century. Progressing a few centuries, ( the 1800s) after the creation of two full dioceses in the

British West Indies, it was discovered, that Bishop William Hart Coleridge who was the Bishop

of the Diocese of Barbados instituted the erection of more Anglican primary schools in the

islands of Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada, Trinidad, British Guiana and the Leeward islands (of

which the British Virgin Islands was apart of). At that time, the only established Anglican

churches in the British Virgin Islands were the St. Philip's Anglican Church in Kingstown,

Tortola, the St. George’s Episcopal (Anglican) Church in Road Town, Tortola and St. Mary’s

Episcopal Church in the Valley, Virgin Gorda . All three churches along with the other members

of the Diocese of Barbados established either a schoolhouse (in the case of St. Philip’s) or

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 conducted primary education in their parishes (in the case of St. George’s and St. Mary’s).

However, after the hurricane of 1916, the St. Philip’s Anglican church was destroyed and having

not been allocated the funds to conduct its repairs, it could no longer be used as a schoolhouse.

Ultimately, the Anglican Church created a very mundane primary education system in

which students were taught the basics of reading and

writing and their spirituality, as students of a Christian

school, were stimulated. However, moving into the late

1930s and early 1940s, residents of

the British Virgin Islands voiced their

opinions as it pertained to the

importance and establishment of a

school that offered secondary level

education within the territory. The

government at that time did not see

the importance in having such an institution within the territory and therefore ruled against it.

This is when the Anglican Church stepped into play and partnered with the Teachers Association

of the BVI and other Christian denominations to rally support behind the idea of a secondary

school. This support caused conflict between the government and the churches (especially the

Anglican) and in an attempt to act as mediator, the

governor of Antigua stepped in and agreed that a

secondary school should immediately be

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established within the territory of the British

Virgin Islands. The Anglican Church also

recommended that the government’s

contributions should be greater than any

outside entity in that education will be free

and teacher’s compensation would lie in the

hands of the government. With that, the BVI High School was founded on May 3, 1943 and the

Anglican clergy stepped into the role of manager of all schools within the territory, due to their

deep understanding for the need of a literate nation. Due to the Anglican church's contributions

to the development of education, secondary/ high school education has been made available to

hundreds of children throughout the region since 1948. The St. George's Episcopal (Anglican)

Church, being one of the first churches to establish a school building, opened their primary level

institution in (exact year unknown) and its secondary school in 2004. These schools offer

exemplary education using the CXC curriculum for both primary and secondary schools and

cater collectively to over 250 students.

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 Conclusion

In conclusion, the 1800s saw Bishop William Hart Coleridge, of the Anglican Church

pioneering the establishment of primary schools on the islands that fell under the Diocese of

Barbados. His leadership influenced the Anglican Church of the Virgin Islands to develop the

concept behind a secondary school within the BVI which resulted in the construction and

opening of the then BVI High School. Ultimately, it can factually be stated that the Anglican

Church of the British Virgin Islands, having two educational facilities of its own, has

revolutionized education in the British Virgin Islands and opened gateways for other

denominations of Christianity to do so, as well as continued to be a pillar of stability and

progression within the education system.

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 Bibliography

● Brian, D (2008). History for CSEC Examinations Macmillan Education, 2

● (5 September, 2022) “Episcopal Church Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News

Network

● (October 10, 2013)-

https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/28/world/episcopal-church-fast-facts/index.ht

ml#:~:text=The%20Anglican%20Church%20originated%20when,US%20E

piscopal%20Church%20is%20one.

● Gloria. “Our Island.” Barbados Pocket Guide-

https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/our-island-barbados/religion/anglica

n.html#:~:text=The%20Anglican%20Church%20was%20brought,to%20min

ister%20to%20the%20settlers.

● Grant, R (28 July, 2022) “Wheatake 58 Self Determinatìon: Deciding

Secondary Education.” 284 Media - News from the BVI:

https://www.284media.com/opinion/2022/07/28/wheatake-58-self-determina

tion-deciding-secondary-education/.

● Husbands, A. “Progression of the Anglican Church in the BVI.”

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 Appendix

1. Image of Sunday Mass at St. George’s

Anglican Church in Road Town, BVI
(cover photo)-

2. Image of St. Philip’s Anglican

Church in Kingstown, BVI -

3. One of the first student

bodies of the St. George’s

School -

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4. Present day Elmore Stoutt High School (formerly known as BVI

highschool)-

5. Present day St. George’s Primary

School-

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