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Education Ministry honours top NGSA performers

Jul 11, 2015 News

CEO urges greater parent participation

Nearly a month after the National Grade Six Assessment results were revealed, the Education Ministry honoured the top performers for this year’s exam.
Present and absent parents alike, were urged to participate more in their children’s education as new journeys begin.
The advice came from Chief Education Officer Olato Sam, who addressed yesterday’s simple ceremony.
As more than 100 pupils and their parents sat excitedly in the audience, Sam emphasised that the day was one for honouring of academic excellence.
“We celebrate the achievements of these 168 young intelligent pupils who should really be proud of their accomplishments,” Sam said. “Seated here are countless stories of sacrifice, hard work, dedication and commitment.”
According to Sam, the group of bright pupils made up Guyana’s brain trust. He said, too, that their skills and talents will need to be cultivated and supported as they move through their academic futures.
Sam also stressed that the Ministry of Education will commit to supporting the pupils as they go forward in shaping and defining- various sectors in society.
“You have what it takes to do exactly that; you’ve received the necessary foundation at your respective institutions and, at the institutions you will enter in the not too distant future, we can assure you an equally solid foundation will be laid,” Sam said.
He added, “Wherever in the world you go, after a start such as this, you will shine and I certainly expect you to do so.”
However, while Sam noted that a solid foundation had been laid by the education system, he opined that parents needed to play more active roles in the entire process.
According to the CEO, parents are only tactically present when they should be continuously present. This trend, he said, is one that has been noticed by the Ministry of Education.
“We recognised that when our children are enrolled in nursery school, our parents are ever present. As they graduate to primary school, we see less of them until the National Grade Six Assessment, then some of you camp out all day and all kinds of stuff just to ensure that your children are successful on that occasion.
Then, as your children graduate from secondary school, it’s even more difficult to get you actively engaged in their educational prospects,” Sam explained.
He stressed that this trend “must stop and needs to be reversed”. He said too that as pupils mature, they will require their parents’ strongest support and guidance.
“There is absolutely nothing that your children will face in their secondary experiences that cannot be addressed by strong parental guidance and support,” Sam maintained.
Similarly, Education Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine noted the hard work put in by pupils, their parents and teachers as achievements but stressed, that the journey had only just begun.
“You’ve made a wonderful start to your educational journey but it’s only a start. Education is a lifelong process that must continue. School is the foundation but the pursuit of education is for life,” Dr. Roopnaraine said.
The top students were conferred with certificates of excellence during the ceremony while laptops were also promised to each of them. The top three pupils, Solomon Cherai of Success Elementary (530 marks), Shania Eastman also of Success Elementary (529 marks) and Celine Farinha of Peter’s Hall Primary (526 marks) were also rewarded with airline tickets.
The tickets, which were compliments of Fly Jamaica, were also given to the parents of the top three performers and will take them to any of the airline’s destinations.
Meanwhile, the day was not one for ceremonial undertakings. When all was said and done, all 168 pupils were treated to a day of games, lunch and a movie at the Princess Fun City.
This year, a total of 15,225 candidates wrote the NGSA exams with the 168 pupils making up the top 1%.

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