When our class entered the St. Vincent Grammar School in January 1954 in Form 2B, we were not allowed to study Physics as a science subject. We did not have the laboratory equipment or even someone qualified to teach physics. Mr. Lopey was then the headmaster, and Mr. Winston Baptiste taught Biology and Botany as well as being the scout master and games master.
The science subjects then offered were Chemistry at School Certificate and Higher School Certificate levels, Biology at the School Certificate level and Botany at the Higher School Certificate level. As a science student, I took all these subjects, but could not get Physics until the arrival of Mr. Gene Smith, B.Sc. from the University College of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica in September, 1957.
"Smitto" as he was called, was a Jamaican, and was well liked by his charges. He was an excellent science teacher. He soon realised that Vincentian students were eager to acquire knowledge in the sciences, and quickly placed an order for a machine to make distilled water and other necessary equipment for a Physics Laboratory. Before that, we had to "borrow" distilled water from the Hospital Laboratory.
Forms 3A and 3B got the first exposure in Physics in 1958, and wrote the subject at the School Certificate level in December 1960, and at the Higher School Certificate level in 1962. This was a very bright class that included Mr. Joel Huggins who later became an engineer and was the Manager of Vinlec. Mr. Smith wrote a booklet called a "Primer of Physics" which was very popular with the students. In addition to Physics, he also taught Chemistry and got excellent results from his students.
From these early beginnings, a lot of Vincentian students have benefited from studying Physics. Up to 1958, if a student wished to study Engineering or related fields, he would have to travel overseas to study Physics for the first time. Today our students have opportunities that others before could only dream about. We have so many engineers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines today, which was not possible before. We even have two students in the U.S.A. who hold Ph.D's in Physics, Lennox Iton in Chicago and Franklyn Constance in Virginia. We have come a long way from humble beginnings. Thank you Gene Smith for being a trail-blazer in the field of Education in St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
