TEN visually impaired students who were successful at the recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations this year and last year, are now enrolled at tertiary institutions, defying society’s expectations of those with disabilities. Eight students are enrolled at the University of Guyana (UG) pursuing studies in Social Work and Communications studies. Two students are now being trained to become teachers at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
The students were honoured yesterday at a simple award ceremony sponsored by Heaven’s Care Home, a centre for the elderly.

The students who scored Grades One and Two received trophies and medals.
Top performer Alwyn Adams, who hails from Stewartville on the West Coast of Demerara was upbeat after receiving his trophy. He secured three Grade One passes — in Principles of Business, Office Administration and English ‘A,’ while earning Grade Two passes in Human and Social Biology (HSB) and Social Studies.
The 36-year-old suffers from an inherited condition of ‘Retinitis Pigmentosa’, which causes a gradual breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. He hopes to have his own transportation business in the near future, given the “absurdity” of the public transportation system in Guyana.
He had hoped to study business administration at the University of Guyana, but because of the unavailability of resources to sit Mathematics at CSEC, he decided to pursue studies in Social Work instead.

Resources for Mathematics
Project Coordinator of the Guyana Society for the Blind Ganesh Singh, told this publication that he will be discussing with officials at the Ministry of Education, the possibilities for resources so that the new batch of visually impaired students can sit Mathematics come May/June next year.
Serving as a teacher for most of her life, 41-year-old Guillian Layne secured the second best position at this year’s CSEC examinations from the Blind Society. Layne, a mother of three, currently works as a teacher. She secured Grade One passes in Principles of Business, Office Administration and English ‘A,’ in addition to a Grade Two pass in Social Studies.
Layne, unlike the others will be returning to CPCE where she once studied Early Childhood Education but was unable to complete the programme since the lecturers felt she was not suited at the time.
Despite being labelled as having a “learning disability,” 18-year-old Ceion Rollox was also among the top performers, securing Grade One passes in Principles of Business and Social Studies, Grade Two passes in Office Administration and English ‘A’, and a Grade Three pass in Human and Social Biology.
Born with cataract, Rollox aspires to one day be engaged in the field of Journalism and is registered for a Degree in Communication Studies at the University of Guyana.
Last year, for the first time ever, the Guyana Society for the Blind recorded tremendous success at the CSEC examination, as its student Rosemary Ramitt secured five Grade One passes in all five subjects, followed by Odessa Blair, who secured five Grade Two passes.
Ramitt who acted as a substitute tutor for the second batch, is in her second year at CPCE pursuing studies in English/Literature and has recorded even more tremendous success as she managed to obtain Grades ‘A’ and ‘B’ passes in her first year. Blair is also in her second year pursuing studies in Social Work at the University of Guyana.
A determined Singh said that though the pass rate has dropped from that of last year’s 84 per cent, come the new batch, the society will implement strict measures so as to avoid another reduction in the pass rate. 10 visually impaired students enrolled at UG, CPCE