In the month of April 100 years ago, a far-sighted 20-year-old young man from Mayreau started the first co-educational secondary school on St. Vincent. That man was Dr. John Parmenas Eustace and the school – the Intermediate High School (IHS).

Prior to that, there were only two secondary schools, the Boys Grammar School (BGS) and the Girls’ High School (GHS), but the enrollment of these school showed a “bias” for the more fortunate class. The vision of young Eustace was to provide secondary education to the poor but talented Vincentian boys and girls, who didn’t make it to the BGS or GHS.

The enterprising JP Eustace went on to establish two other secondary schools: one which bears his name – the JP Eustace Memorial Secondary School, Edinboro, Kingstown – and the other the Emmanuel High School Mesopotamia.

The original IHS which began with just 8 students now has an enrollment of 300 students. The school was relocated from premises (now occupied by Swiftpac) in the ‘heart’ of capitalKingstown, to what was described as a temporary location at McKies Hill overlooking Kingstown, where it remains up to today. Its current principal is Ms. Mona Green.

Engaging the student body

The activities to mark the centenary anniversary of the school have been, in the main, collaborative events between the school’s management and faculty and the Intermediate High School Alumni Association Inc. (IHSAA). The IHSAA Inc. is a registered non-profit organization that supports the school’s physical and educational development needs and equally important, the school’s legacy.

In that vein, during the morning school hours on Monday 20th April, a number of alumni engaged the students in sessions applicable to their (alumni) professions. Students were engaged in discussions on Health, Sports, Music, Business, Law and Photography.

Counselling sessions were also availed to the students who were so disposed.

In addition to the student-alumni sessions, the morning marked the beginning of a shroud bearing the names of past and present students and staff. The shroud, eventually, will be placed in a “time capsule” and buried, to be unearthed and opened after 50 years, in 2076, long after many who signed that shroud would have passed on.

The IHSAA Inc. also used the occasion of the activity at the school to launch its website (ihssvg.org ). The website is intended to serve “as a digital hub to maintain lasting connections between the IHS alumni members, and their alma mater,” the IHSAA said.

Reaching out and Church Service

In the afternoon of April 20, the students partnered with some business houses who sponsored food baskets, fruit baskets and floral arrangements, to present same to the Lewis Punnett Home and three households in Old Montrose and Paul’s Avenue, the latter including a 104-year-old female recipient. Upwards of 20 persons who live in what is known as ‘China Town’ also received food/meal packages

The signature event of the anniversary month was a Church Service held at the New Testament Church at Wilson Hill, Kingstown, where students and staff, past and present, gathered on the morning of Tuesday 21st April.

The service was held under the theme, “Educating generations. Enriching lives for the future” and was a mix of thanksgiving, and praise in song, poetry and dance. It culminated with a dynamic sermon delivered by Pastor Brent St. Jean, aSeventh-day Adventist Pastor and Youth Director for the SVG Mission,.

Teachers, each of whom had given 10 years of service to the school and who continue to give exemplary service, were also presented with gifts of appreciation.

Other activities carded for the week included a bus tour to the Bio-technical lab at Orange Hill and Mt. Young Tunnel on Wednesday, April 22; a Mathematics activity on Thursday, April 23; a role reversal activity carded for Friday, April 24, 2026.

The IHSAA Inc. will be staging several events culminating with a Gala in October, coinciding with our independence celebrations.