February 2002 Newsletter: Suriname

Paramaribo, Suriname

Suriname is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean Sea. It lies in the tropical zone but has the advantages of the sea breezes to temper the climate. The southern part of Suriname extends into Amazonia. The coastal region is the result of alluvial deposits swept from the Amazon River by the Guyana current. The shoreline, home to the giant green turtles, is mostly mud flats and mangroves. Most of the country is covered by rainforests, which are accessible by riverboat or air. It is located in one of the most meteorological and seismological stable locations in the world - no hurricanes or earthquakes.

Suriname was a Dutch colony from the 1663 when it was part of the Treaty of Ghent settlement with the British. The Dutch traded Manhattan for Suriname. In the 1950's it received commonwealth status. It gained its independence in 1975. After a military coup on February 25, 1980, there was military rule until November 25, 1987. Currently, the democratically elected government has been taking steps to boost the economy of the country.

The economic downturn had its advantages in that the instability of the government made it impossible to exploit the rainforest. Ecotours are now being promoted. Bauxite mining has been the mainstay of the export economy.

History of the American Cooperative School

The American Cooperative School (ACS) was founded in the mid-60"s by Suralco, a subsidiary of Alcoa, to accommodate their expatriate employees. At the same time, the missionary community opened a school for their children.

These schools merged in 1984 and were operated by the missionary community. Two years later the ACS Board bought the school from Suralco. ACS has been a catalyst, bringing together many segments of the local international community - to the enrichment of us all.

Since SIL (Bible translators) has provided 90% of the staff over the years, their plan to withdraw from Suriname in 2001 meant that ACS faced a crisis of existence. Therefore, in 1998, the Board of Directors contacted the Network of International Christian Schools (NICS) who agreed to accept ACS as an affiliate school.

This change allows the school to continue its education ministry with a local board, supervised by NICS.

Currently. The Board of Directors consists of representatives from the following missionary agencies: SIL, Christar, Southern Baptist, MAF, World Team, and Wesleyan.

Program of the School

The curriculum and organization of the school follows the typical format in Grades 1 through 8. There is one class at each grade level. The curriculum is based on the United States model and uses a combination of both Christian and secular publishers.

The students in Grade 9 through 12 are enrolled in the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, distance learning program. The students are supervised and assisted by a qualified tutor. The program is under the accreditation of the North Central Association Commission on Schools.

The program is now in transition to a regular high school curriculum. We received candidacy status from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and are in the process of seeking full accreditation.

Plans for the School

The high school is in a five year program to change from the current correspondence system to that of a regular classroom setting. It is the intention to add a subject specialist every year with a particular emphasis on Grade nine for the 2001-2002 school year.

Building Project

We have completed the construction a six classroom block with a multipurpose room. All rooms are air conditioned and wired for computer. This will enable us to expand our high school into a traditional class structure. A library and media center has been added to the facility. An existing classroom is being converted into a science laboratory.