| Montserrat Secondary School | |
| Motto: | Qui Non Proficit Deficit (He who does not progress, regresses.) |
| Established: | 1938 |
| Type: | Secondary school |
| Affiliation: | Government of Montserrat |
| Principal: | Cheryln Hogan |
| Enrollment: | Approximately 340 (in 2016)[1] |
| Location: | Salem |
| Country: | Montserrat |
| Pushpin Map: | Montserrat |
The Montserrat Secondary School, often referred to for short as MSS, is the only pre-16 years of age secondary school on the island of Montserrat. The school's campus is currently located in Salem. Prior to 2004 it was responsible for Montserrat's sixth-form education (post-16); currently Montserrat Community College (MCC) now offers Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) sixth-form classes.
It was established by the 1938 merger of a government boys' secondary school, Montserrat Boys Grammar School, and a private girls' secondary school.[2] Originally not all Montserrat citizens had the right to a secondary education, and the school chose which students may be admitted. A May 2011 Montserrat government report stated that the school "produced excellent results and enjoyed national esteem" in that time.[3] Wealthier families were the main clientele of MSS.[2]
There were 64 students in 1941. In 1955 its senior/modern school opened. In 1971 its junior school opened. The May 2011 government report stated that these new divisions "did not substantially alter the elitist nature of the school."[4] The school has multiple locations before settling in Salem.[2]
In 1986 secondary education became universal in Montserrat, and the report stated this, as well as the 1997 Soufrière Hills volcanic eruption, which reduced the student population, altered the school's culture.[4] As a result of the establishment of universal secondary education, MSS established three branch junior school campuses in Dagenham, Salem, and Thompson Field.[2]
In the pre-1997 period it was the sole school with upper secondary education, with its senior secondary division being the Montserrat Senior Secondary School,[5] and its junior secondary being a lower section.[6] The campuses together had 1,043 students in 1988.[7]
The volcanic eruption and population loss resulted in the dissolution of MSS's sixth-form college; Montserrat Community College took over sixth-form studies upon its opening in 2004.[8] The school now has a single campus in Salem.
By 2011 the teacher population had a lack of stability, contrasting with local-origin teachers of previous generations. In addition, and multiple "behavioural problems" had occurred "for several years". In 2011 there were 300 students; some of the school's students had English as a second language as they were immigrants.[4]
It occasionally closed during ash falls as it is in the volcano's ash shadow.[9] A report from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) stated that the school is a long distance from the major settlements in northern Montserrat.[10]