WITH the hope of one day becoming President of Guyana, Kayshav Tewari, the 16-year-old Queen’s College (QC) student who topped Guyana with 19-grade ones, at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC), received the Presidential Scholarship Award for Most Outstanding Performer-Overall. At a National Award Ceremony for Outstanding Performances held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) on Friday, the Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (ECD) lad was also the Most Outstanding CSEC Performer for Guyana 2016 and Best Performer Sciences – Guyana. He was also awarded as one of the Best Senior Secondary School Performers at the 2016 exam.
Larissa Wiltshire, a former QC student, copped the Presidential Scholarship award for Most Outstanding Performer-Overall award for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), copping the Best Performer award for year 2015-2016 and CAPE Best Performer Year 2016.

Wiltshire, who gained 12 subjects at CAPE, is currently furthering her studies in Jamaica, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and her awards were received by parents Justice Roxanne George and Garfield Wiltshire. Sarah Hack of Queen’s College was the second winner of the Presidential Award for CAPE.
Fatima Karim of St. Rose’s high, who gained 19 grade ones and one grade two, also received the Presidential Scholarship Award for CSEC, and was named among the top two performers at the 2016 examinations.
CSEC’s Best Creative and Expressive Arts award was won by Esther Hercules of Bishops’ High, who secured Grade one passes in Physical Education and Sports, and Theatre Arts among other subjects.
Those receiving Best Performers award for CAPE were Deonauth Mohabir (QC), who scored 6 grade ones and 1 grade two; Karissa Kissoon of Bishops’ High (6 Grade ones), Ashley Anthony (6 grade ones) QC, Joash Gobin QC (6 grade ones), Larissa Wiltshire (6 grade ones), and Shannon Woodroffe of QC (6 grade ones).
The Desrey Caesar-Fox scholarship award was won by Lennox Hernandez of North West Secondary who scored nine grade ones and two grade twos and also emerged best overall performer for Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine.
Those awarded Best Senior Secondary School performers were Kayshav Tewari (QC), Fatima Karim (St. Rose’s High), Adela Ali (QC), and Suriah Singh (QC).
Awarded for being Best Junior Secondary School Performers were Ramkumarie Ramdass of Swarswattie Vidya, who gained 18 grade ones and 1 grade 2; Joash Indergeet of Skeldon Linepath Secondary with 17 grade ones; Kimberly Najab of Swarswattie Vidya Secondary with 15 grade ones and two grade 2s.
Meanwhile, at the primary level, Anthony Ferreira of Maes Under-12 Primary School and Arian Singh of Dharmic Rama Krishna School shared the top spot for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Examinations and were awarded along with Serena Razak of Graham’s Hall Primary and Chelsea Barnes of Success Elementary Schools for emerging as the top four students at the 2016 examinations.
Carnegie School of Home Economics Best Performers for 2016 were also awarded for their outstanding performances, with Iodele Bovell as Best Performer in Garment Construction; Monette Thornhill for Commercial Food Preparation; Gizelle Lopes for Catering and Hospitality; and Susan Saunders for distinction in General Cosmetology.
Craft Production and Design Best Performers are Nikita Alicock (Visual Arts) and Shonell (Garment Construction)
Among the awardees from the Guyana Technical Education Examination (GTEE) were Romeo Matthews who secured a Technical Certificate in Telecommunications; Richard Kinsanally who received a Technical Diploma in Land Surveying; Trishana Edwards who received a Diploma in Commerce, Rachelle Webster who received a Science Diploma and Tomika Bobb who received a Diploma in Computer Science.

The Best Graduating Student at the Cyril Potter College of Education awardee was Herani Persaud of the Anna Regina Centre.
Most Improved Senior Secondary School award was won by McKenzie High, while Bushlot Secondary received the Most Improved Junior Secondary School award. The Most Improved Primary School award was won by Providence Primary School.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine described the national award ceremony as a bitter-sweet one for him.He explained that while he recognises the merit of the awards for recognising the hard work and success of the top performers and for being a motivation for those to come, he also bemoaned its limitation of continuing to be all about awarding academia.

He pointed out that there were no awards for the outstanding non-academic or hybrid aspects of students’ performances and said that this is an indictment of the nation’s education system.

The minister noted the strain that the system is subjected to when it seeks to provide tuition for as many as 20 subjects.

“The result is less time for extra-curricular activities, less time for core subjects and [it] creates a need for extra lessons to supplement the work done in schools, lessons which some cannot afford, and hours of tuition sometimes commencing as early as 5:00 am and ending as late as 10:00pm,” the minister said.

In addition to distribution of the trophies, laptops were handed to the top Presidential Scholarship Awardees, CAPE and CXC performers.