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By any standard Miss Nellie Robinson was a remarkable woman. Born 36 years after the Abolition of Slavery, she
founded the T.O.R. Memorial School when she was just 18 years old. She was an extra-ordinary individual who decided
to accept the enormous educational and social challenges of her day. It took a great deal of courage for anyone to
challenge the injustices and inequalities which existed in 1898 – just 64 years after
emancipation. For a woman or more correctly
an 18 year old girl to do what she did, it took a great deal of guts.
Since the T.O.R. Memorial School gave access to Secondary Education to the
socially disadvantaged its very existence could be regarded as a bold challenge to the
social order of the day.
At first, most of the students at T.O.R. were mulattoes. This was not a deliberate plan to exclude blacks. It was a simple economic fact of life that most
blacks just could not afford a fee-paying school.
As the school developed, scholarships were made available to poor black children
and as the reputation of the school grew, children from across the social spectrum were
attracted to the school AS PAYING STUDENTS ALONG WITH THE RECIPIENTS OF
SCHOLARSHIPS.
One of the objectives
of this website is to preserve some of the memories for the benefit of many of the PAST
STUDENTS of the T.O.R., living in Antigua and in various countries all over the world.
SELECTED PICTURES OF THE OLD SCHOOL BUILDING, MAYPOLE DANCERS and many more nostalgic
items and pictures, will be featured to keep these memories alive. |
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THOSE ARE
NOW ELEMENTS OF THE PAST. THE OLD HISTORIC BUILDING HAS BEEN SOLD, AND IS NOW BEING
CONSUMED IN THE NATIONS COMMERCIAL SECTOR, TO TAKE IT'S NATURAL PLACE AMONG MANY OTHER
HISTORIC BUILDINGS OF THE CITY, WHICH HAVE BECOME TRUE SYMBOLS OF OUR COUNTRIES ECONOMIC
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. |
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THE HISTORY PERTAINING TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE
NEED FOR A NEW SCHOOL BUILDING, WAS OUTLINED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
MR. CORDELL JOSIAH, DURING HIS OPENING REMARKS AT THE GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY OF THE NEW
T.O.R. MEMORIAL SCHOOL.
| "After the death of Miss Ina Loving in December 1996, the board of
management realized that the School will not be able to remain at the location on High
Street. Fund raising efforts were launched and a Building Fund Account was opened at the
Antigua Commercial Bank. Mr. Foster Baynes, a board member at that time was the first
person to make a contribution to the fund. Mr. Baynes has since been called to Glory in
September 1998. |
Chairman of the Board of Management
Cordell Josiah
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"In 2004, the
building on High Street was sold by the executors of the Estate of Miss Ina Loving.
Currently we are in a temporary location on Stapleton Lane. Now. with God's Grace, here we
are today at Paynters Estate, to turn the Sod for our New T.O.R. Memorial School Building.
"We would not have reached this far without the assistance of the Government of
Antigua and Barbuda who kindly leased us this portion of land, 2.5 acres in total. |
"The building that we are
constructing is a concrete structure consisting of four units with nine class rooms, each
capable of accommodating thirty-five (35) students. This means that in the near future we
will be able to increase our enrollment from the present 200 to 315 students.
"There are many advantages being here at
Paynters.
a) Out of downtown St. John's and its congestion
b) Lots of fresh air
c) Lots of playing space
d) The teachers will enjoy the large spacious classrooms and comfortable staff
room.
"The fund raising efforts for our
building fund are still on going, and anyone willing to make contributions may do so
to our Building Fund Account #103939445 at the Antigua Commercial Bank.
"Sincere thanks and appreciation are
expressed by the Board of Management and Members of the Friendly Society, and Teachers of
the T.O.R. Memorial School. To all who have made donations, and to those who have not yet
made donations to our School's Building Fund."
(Click on one of the Red Links Below to make a
donation) |
YOU
ARE INVITED TO MAKE REGULAR DONATIONS BY SUBSCRIBING MONTHLY IN US CURRENCY:
$5.00, $10.00, $25.00, $50.00 OR $100.00
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You may also make a one-time donation of any amount of your
choosing - GIVE GENEROUSLY
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ARRANGEMENTS
HAVE BEEN MADE FOR YOU TO MAKE THE ABOVE CONTRIBUTIONS ON LINE THROUGH THIS WEBSITE;
YOU MAY ALSO SEND CHEQUES OR BANK DRAFTS DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL'S BUILDING FUND AT
THE: |
