AWARDED scholarships to study at the secondary, technical and tertiary levels under the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, a batch of 50 students from different hinterland regions graduated, Wednesday, at a ceremony held fittingly at the Amerindian Village, Sophia Exhibition Complex.

Speaking at the annual graduation ceremony, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, performing the duties of the president, emphasised that government is committed to improving access to quality education for young people across the country.
“You would have heard about the tremendous improvements in greatly increased numbers of secondary schools in the hinterland in particular,” Prime Minister Hinds said, as he mentioned the contract that was awarded for the construction of the new secondary school in Kato, Region 8.
The prime minister stressed that the site where the school is being built is a beautiful one and expressed the hope that soon there would be a University of the Pakaraimas. The new school will accommodate 350 students.
Forty of the 50 students wrote CSEC last year and achieved 301 passes, an average of 7 to 8 subjects per student, and a total pass rate of 86 %. This has resulted in an 8 percent increase over the previous years.
Prime Minister Hinds congratulated the students for their hard work and dedication to their studies and urged that they continue to further their education. “An important aspect of improving opportunities for children in the hinterland is to have the best students attending some of the top secondary schools in Guyana,” he said.
Once the rate keeps growing, he said, more secondary schools will have to be established and the quality in terms of the ability to teach and train students will have to be improved.
“Today marks the attainment in one phase in your life as a student,” Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai told the students.
More than 51 years ago, six Amerindian students were awarded scholarships to attend schools in Georgetown under this project, and thus far 368 hinterland students have benefited.
This is evidence, she said, that incrementally, the Government of Guyana’s investment in education continues to have a positive impact on the young people.
“Today, Guyana can boast of achieving the MDG for universal primary education…government continues to invest and support equal access to pupils and students nationally to acquire an education,” Minister Sukhai said.
She also highlighted the school uniform and school feeding programmes, the subsidy for examinations which is accessible to vulnerable families, expanding education infrastructure and continuous training for educators which all have a tremendous impact to ensure quality education delivery across the country.
However, she said that the new goal for the government is to achieve universal secondary education to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG).
Minister Sukhai expressed concern over students returning to their respective communities and not receiving necessary support. “For example, many of the high achievers from various batches before you have done exceedingly well, and when they do not receive the requisite support to further their academics and goals and return to the villages…many of them will move to seek employment in the mining and forestry areas.”
Nothing is wrong with that, she said, since they are growing sectors, but she would rather the graduates engage in a more formal, institutional aspect of work.
She charged the students to become more resourceful and continue to be successful in their future endeavours.
The graduates were given certificates as well as awards for consistent academic performance and maximum performance.
Pearly Melville, who completed studies at the Carnegie School of Economics, received an award for maximum performance.
Kester Hernandez, of Region 1; Mary Parker and Maxine Welch of Region 9; Dacia Chapppelle and Lisa Thakurdin  of Region 2, and Laura Vandenburg of Region 6 received for consistent academic performance.
The scholarship programme caters for hinterland students who gain 470 to 479 marks at the National Grade Six Assessment to be granted regional scholarships to attend schools in their regions; and those with 480 and above are granted national scholarships to attend secondary schools in Georgetown. In 2012, 62 students graduated from the programme.