-institution observes 26th Anniversary and 21st Graduation Exercise
Government’s investment in education continues to bear fruitful results as students are excelling at examinations.
President’s College, one of the top secondary institutions, is maintaining the tradition of churning out excellent results, having produced some of the top Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) achievers in the country and the Caribbean.
At its 26th Anniversary and 21st Graduation Exercise Thursday, it was reported that the school was able to attain 100% passes, (Grades 1-3) in 22 of the subject areas offered at the institution. In Mathematics, English B, English A and Caribbean History, the percentage of passes attained (Grades 1-2) were 94%, 98%, 98% and 83% respectively.
The institution’s top student and best overall performer, Jonique Crawford, attained at CSEC, 13 subjects, 9 Grade 1s and 4 Grade 2s. Other top performers are Sheena Chin, Nichole Haynes and Vikesh Bisson, who attained 12, 11 and 9 subjects respectively.
Prime Minister Samuels Hinds, who delivered the feature address at the graduation exercise, told the graduands that he was pleased to see Guyanese students continuing the onward trend of success in the CSEC and the CAPE examinations.
Spotlighting the fact that Guyana secured 16 of the 28 awards that will be given out to top performers in the Region who wrote the 2011 CSEC, the prime minister said that “Good academic achievements have always been the hallmark of Guyana,” and singled out President’s and Queen’s Colleges as among the institutions that continue to take the honour of enabling these academic achievements.
Education is the key to growth and development, Prime Minister Hinds told the graduands, and it provides the scope whereby an individual can evolve and grow into a better person.
He said that it’s important that they reflect on the lessons learnt throughout their five-year sojourn at the institution, more so the lesson about the history of the transformation and development of the world and Guyana, and these lessons should inculcate in the youths a sense of reverence, a sense of responsibility to take on history and to build on it, he said.
“It’s important to have those feelings of reverence, of the things that were before us, and had been past down to us, and to feel the effort to challenge and build on that which is there, that which we have learnt,” he added.
Government has aimed at attaining a level where every child could have access to education and has steadily been able to move closer to realising this goal, he said, adding that things are vastly different from when he was at school.
Principal Carlyn Canterbury challenged the graduands to strive for excellence not only in their future academic pursuits, but in all facets of their future endeavours and urged them to allow excellence to occupy their daily lives.
The institution would not have been able to attain its continuing success without its many support systems, Canterbury said, and for this reason, it will continue to engage these systems, inclusive of its staff.
She said that the school has facilitated enriching activities that support the development of the students, and they have excelled in these areas, inclusive of extra-curricular activities. The school’s curriculum is also steadily updated to ensure the teaching programmes are relevant and in keeping with the curriculum of the Ministry of Education.
Valedictorian and Best Graduating CAPE student, Afua Alder, in her speech, told the graduating class to cherish the bond of friendship established during their school sojourn, and as they go further, to look onward to bigger and better dreams for themselves. ‘Dream now for the future’, she urged them.
Also present at the graduation was Chief Education Officer Olato Sam.