Finance Minister exhorts students to continue to work hard to achieve greater success PRESIDENT’S COLLEGE (PC) recently held its 23rd annual graduation and 28th anniversary ceremony at the school’s, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara tarmac honouring over 100 students who performed well at the 2013 Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

This year the school recorded an 84.5 percent pass rate at the CSEC, and 94.7 percent passes at CAPE, which is a significant improvement when compared to previous years.
During an address to the students, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh stated that while the school performed exceptionally well, the students must continue to work hard in order to achieve greater success.
Government over the years has invested billions to ensure that every child receives an education. “Today you leave President’s College as fine young citizens of Guyana…of a system which Government has not been shy to invest in, and one which has been making great strides year after year,” Dr Singh said.
PC is not the only school of excellence in the country, he said, as the education system has been recording brilliant performances by schools in Linden, Essequibo, Georgetown and Berbice.
However, he reiterated that real excellence is a never ending pursuit. “It is not only to say that I belong to a good institution, or I graduated or  got good results, but the fact of the matter is that success is never ending and you must continue to work hard,” Singh stressed.
He told the students that they are almost by definition strong achievers, and they must not sit back and tell themselves they have achieved and all the work is done, and that while they have much to celebrate, much work remains ahead of them.
“Our country has invested much in you and indeed much is expected of you…there is much hard work and service ahead of you… your country needs you,” he told the students.
The Finance Minister charged the parents and teachers to continue the work they have been doing which has been a major contributor to the education sector’s success.
Minister of Education, Ms. Priya Manickchand expressed satisfaction with the school’s performance, noting that it has improved significantly over the years. “You would notice how much the conversation has changed from over the last five years,  how much we have changed as a country and a college,” Ms. Manickchand stated.
The education system has transformed in terms of access and Government is now looking at the quality of education delivered.  “We used to talk about access, now we are talking about how we can achieve quality education, which also involves teacher training,” Manickchand reiterated.
The Education Minister congratulated the graduates and urged them to continue on the pathway of success. “You get to decide what you want Guyana to be tomorrow and decide what you will do to bring about that Guyana you would like to see.”
She also commended the teachers, parents and guardians, the board and heads of department and other staff who would have contributed to the children’s success.
Receiving awards were, Shalita Appadu, who copped first place at CAPE and the country with six grade ones and one grade two, followed by Aarif Baksh with one grade one, four grade twos and one grade three, and Kevin Garbaran, one grade one, three grade twos and two grade threes.
Meanwhile, for the CSEC, Melissa Asregado placed first with 11 grade ones and one grade two, Edrianna Stephen second, with 10 grade ones and two grade twos , and Kerrie Hooper, third, with eight  grade ones, four  grade twos and one grade three.
Students also received prizes for placing first, second and third in their respective classes and also certificates for participating in the President’s Youth Award Programme (PYARG).