Louis Lynch was an outstanding educator in Barbados; he founded the countries largest private secondary school from which many successful and prominent Barbadians graduated.
In honor of Louis Lynch’s lasting contribution to the secondary education of Barbados, the Barbados government named a school after him in 1978 – the Louis Lynch Secondary School.
This was the Modern High School, located on Upper Roebuck Street on a site which is now occupied by the Insurance Company of Barbados.
Louis Lynch was instrumental in locating academic scholarships for hundreds of young Barbadians who pursued studies in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. In so doing, he outperformed Government Secondary Schools which depended on the government which confined students to awards given by the government.
Louis Lynch was also very active in municipal politics during the period of local government in Barbados.
This school was originally the Roebuck Secondary School which was opened in the previous year (1977). It was located in temporary quarters at Block B the Garrison St. Michael.
On April 10th, 1978 it was relocated to White Park Road, St. Michael and officially opened on April 19th of that same year as the Louis Lynch Secondary School by Honorable Louis Tull.
Carrying the motto “From strength to strength“, in recent times, this school was the school of choice for approximately 750 students in zone two of the Barbados secondary school zoning system.
On completion of the stipulated five year period at the school, and passing the necessary examinations, the school offered a number of certificates.
These included: the Barbados Secondary School Certificate, the Caribbean Examination Council certificate, the Cambridge GCE O’ level certificate and the Associated Board of Royal School of Music certificate.
One of the departments in the school which excelled academically was the Industrial Arts department. In 2006, they placed third in the Industrial Arts, Craft and Technological Exhibition / Competition.
In order to make sure that the students are well rounded and prepared for the outside world, the students were also offered a number of extra-curricular activities. These included: the Photographic Club, the Drama Club, the Literary and Debating Society, the Key Club and the Environmental and Flower Arranging Club just to name a few.
Louis Lynch Secondary produced outstanding individuals such as the three-time Olympian and record holder Nicky Neckles and one of the island’s elite frontcourt basketball players Jamila Griffith.
Former student Jamar Beckles, currently a Computer Studies student at the University of the West Indies (U.W.I) stated, “Although we had our adversities, I would not trade my secondary school years at any other school. As small as it was, this made it easier to keep the students together; we lived as one big family.”
Another former student, Damar Evelyn, now pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Physics at the U.W.I related, “Louis Lynch is one of the top rated secondary schools in the island, the majority of the students who attend the school go on to a tertiary level of education”.
Due to chemical pollution induced by a dry cleaning business opposite the school in 2007, the students were relocated to other schools and the Louis Lynch Secondary School was subsequently shut down.
Author: Brett Callaghan
