…chairman sees nexus between improved performance 5Bs initiative

THE Department of Education of the Demerara Mahaica Region, on Tuesday, honoured several students for outstanding achievements and performances for the year.

The ceremony was held at the National Cultural Centre, under the theme ‘The Foundation of Education Goals are Achieved Through Experience, Dedication And Empowerment.’ Several pupils and students from various schools across the region, received awards for their outstanding performances at the National Grade Two, Four and Six Assessments, Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination, Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the recently concluded National Schools Championship.
Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson, who delivered the feature address, charged the awardees to cultivate their academic and athletic skills since education is the key to social mobility. “I really want to commend you for what you’ve done …all of you are about to move from one level of education to another and as you move I want you to remember the words ‘passion and the purpose are fuel for energised development’, I say now to you young people never lose focus of your passion and your purpose,” he stated.

Dr. Hutson further stated that a man’s life was not determined by his beginnings. Because of the importance that is attached to education, people can evolve, and one can determine one’s destiny as one applies to education. He added that education was a way out of the vagaries of life and the way to social mobility and it was critical that the young scholars did not lose focus of their passion. Dr. Hutson also urged the pupils and students to set their standards high and to always demand excellence in whatever it was they intended to pursue in their education and future careers.

Dr. Hutson also commended the Region four Department of Education for its continuous effort to acknowledge its top performing schools. “I’m happy that region number four has continued to show the progress that it has been showing and progress is not something that happens overnight, progress basically proves that people had to be working in front and behind the scenes,” he stated.

He added that he must acknowledge the teachers and educators who contributed to the successes of the young scholars present at the ceremony since they played an extensive role educating the pupils and students to ensure their success.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairperson Genevieve Allen said performance and attendance had greatly improved in the Region 4 education district over the last academic year. She said the successes were partly a result of the 5B’s initiative championed by His Excellency President David Granger. The countrywide initiative provided children with access to buses, boats, bicycles, books and breakfast all free of charge and had transformed access to education leading to improved academic performances. There were also infrastructural improvements with the erection of three new nursery schools this year at Craig, Strathspey and Vryheid’s Lust.

According to Regional Education Officer, Tiffany Harvey, “our schools must be given the attention, not only [through] teacher training, but …we must have the environment ready for our teachers and learners to function effectively.”

St. Cuthbert’s Secondary, located in the only Indigenous settlement in Region 4, now has a recently completed science laboratory Harvey disclosed. Significant repairs were also done at the Diamond, Timehri and Providence Primary Schools, Buxton Secondary and Bladen Hall Multilateral Schools.

Covent Garden Primary was adjudged the Most Improved School at the Grade Two assessment while New Diamond/Grove Primary was the best performer at the Grade Four level. Swami Purnananda Primary, Cove and John collected the most awards, winning awards for best performance overall at the NGSA in the Region as well as highest performing Grade Six class in Science, English Language, Mathematics and Social Studies. Enmore/Hope Primary produced several top performers while L-Dee Johnson from Clonbrook Primary, who secured a place at the Bishops’ High School, was rewarded for the best composition at the NGSA. Meanwhile, Diamond Secondary was adjudged the best school at CSEC in the region with top regional performer, Renisha Shivbalack, securing 13 Grade Ones and four Grade Twos at this year’s examination. The school is also the only ‘A’ Grade School on the East Bank of Demerara. President’s College, at Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, copped all of the CAPE prizes.