History

About Miss Maud William

Ms. Maud Williams has dedicated fifty years of service to the education system of Belize. Her long career started at St. Mary's Primary School on Angel Lane and continued at St John's Anglican Primary School, Queen Square Primary Anglican School in Belize City, and St. John's Memorial in Placencia. Mrs. Williams recalls her appointment as principal at St. John's Memorial in the mid-1950s. She traveled to Placencia on the Heron H boat and after sleeping soundly that Saturday night, she awoke to discover that her room was located next to the village cemetery

In 1971 she enrolled as a student at the Belize Teachers College and graduated in 1973, ever since she has dedicated her time to teaching and contributing to education in Belize. She also taught at Gales Point's, St. Augustine, and Orange Walk's St. Peter as a teacher and principal before she retired at Queen Square in 1985. She continued as Coordinator of Anglican Schools from 1986 - 1988 with the Anglican Diocesan Board. She worked as an Inspector of schools with the Ministry of Education, and general manager of Anglican Schools from 1988 - 2000, and up to recently as local manager for Queen Square Anglican.

Mrs. William's advice to her contemporaries is to learn from one's mistakes. “You learn nothing in this world if you don't make a few mistakes” - “read widely, accept as many experiences in your journey as possible, always find something new in your work, and work together to achieve success”. In recognition of a half-century of service to the field of education in Belize through teaching and administration, the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, October 28, 2000, renamed St. Michael's College on Racoon Street - Maud Williams High School - in honor of this great teacher and administrator who bears this name.

History of Maud Williams High School

Maud Williams High School, formerly St. Michael's College is a co-ed government high school, governed by a Board of Management. It was established in September 2000 after Honorable Richard (Dickie) Bradley saw the need to provide an educational opportunity for south side high school youths who were not in high school because of economic and social challenges, and others who were rejected by other high schools because they did not meet entry-level standards. The high school opened its door to students on September 4, 2000, under the leadership of its first principal, Mr. Michael Price, and his staff of ten teachers. It began with three first forms and an enrollment of ninety-four students which increased to one hundred twenty students within the next two weeks. The three classrooms were housed in the old Princess Royal Youth Hostel building as preparations for a new building were being proposed.

In 2001 the first floor of the three-story building was completed and first-form classrooms were relocated to this area while the second form held classes in the existing Hostel building. The following year 2002, the entire building was completed giving the school a total of twelve classrooms. Presently, Maud Williams operates a full high school program offering three areas of study: Business, Vocational, and Academic Studies, from which students can select to pursue during third and fourth form. The school population has fluctuated due to contributing factors such as parental neglect, poverty, academic challenges, and social factors which have led to absenteeism, repetition, and dropout and innovative interventions to keep students in school.


On October 13, 2009, another historic change was made. The name St. Michael's College was changed to Maud Williams High School. It was named in honor of a Belizean educator- Mrs. Maud Williams who dedicated many years of service as a teacher and manager of Anglican Schools. In its existence, it has survived under the leadership of several principals, namely, Mr. Michael Price, Mrs. Josephine Flowers, Mrs. Carolyn Williams, Mrs. Cruzita Castillo, and currently Mrs. Deborah Domingo.


On May 3rd, 2019 the inauguration took place for a new two-story building - donated by the US Army Horizon- Which replaced the old historic Youth Hostel building. The school now boasts six new labs- Electrical, Science, Food & Nutrition, Clothing & Textile, Technical Drawing, and Computer lab. The new principal's and vice-principals office along with a staff lounge, conference room, and students' bathroom is also located in this new building. This reality will now benefit students who had longed for such a necessary working environment.


Today Maud Williams High School has a student population of almost three hundred students and a staff of twenty-four teachers including the principal, vice-principal, and a school counselor. The administration of the school is assisted by our support staff which includes a bursar, secretary, and an office assistant. For student safety, we have three school wardens and three security guards that provide twenty-four-hour security for the school compound. To address the needs of our students we plan to implement initiatives that will make learning meaningful, increase student success and raise the bar to its motto: Committed to Excellence!