The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports plans to establishe another school similar to the Alma Parris, in the east or central parts of the island.

This was revealed by Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Cynthia Forde, as she delivered the feature address at a graduation ceremony for the Alma Parris Memorial Secondary School at Sherbourne Conference Centre, Friday.

"It is the ministry's plan to replicate this model of the school . . . This has been our plan before . . . but we were not able to implement it as hastily as possible . . . We are hoping to have a future school that would cater to the needs of late developers," she said.

Forde, who was part of the conceptualisation and establishment process of the school, noted its model and that of the Edna Nicholls Centre was in great demand across the region.

"Today Barbados can boast of the outstanding role the Alma Parris school has made in turning around the lives of thousands of Barbadians who would have otherwise been lost in the system . . . Specially designed integrated programmes have allowed students to reach their true potential and contribute to the overall development of Barbados."

Forde, a former educator, told the graduates the school one attended was not all that mattered; they must prepare themselves eloquently, in order to give of their best.

She admonished parents to work with their children, to offer tangible gifts such as hugs and kisses, instead of a lump sum of money, and to stop comparing their children's abilities to others.

The minister urged the media to conduct their own investigations and research to help theAlma School preparea documentary.

"That [documentary] would be a model for all of us; and that would offer a measure of hope and an opportunity for children to perform to their full potential," the minister indicated.

The Alma Parris School was established almost 11 years ago in Speightstown, St Peter, to cater to the needs of students who would have been left out of the main stream school system. At that time, Prime Minister Owen Arthur had promised to open three similar secondary schools in September 1996.