By Vishani Ragobeer

THE National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) is an exit examination for the primary level and each year many pupils work diligently to do their best at these examinations. For Jarese Jeffrey, a visually impaired student that attends the St. Gabriel’s Primary school, it is not different.

Jeffrey’s mother, Stacy Reece, related that the young boy was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at the age of five months.

Hydrocephalus is the build-up of fluid in the cavities (ventricles) deep within the brain. The excess fluid causes the size of the ventricles to increase, and resultantly puts pressure on the brain. This may sometimes lead to visual problems, as experienced by Jarese. “He went blind at age three years, nine months, when he was in the second year of nursery [school],” she said further.

What this means, is that the young boy has spent all of his life with the impairment. But never once did this deter him from his academic pursuits. And according to his mother, he is no stranger to working hard and having his success speak for him. In fact, after writing the National Grade Four Examinations two years ago, Stacy proudly highlighted that the young boy had emerged the top performer of his class. “His average percentage ranges between 60 to 70 per cent,” she noted too.

Now in preparation for the NGSA, the mother indicated that she worked past papers for all four subjects with him.

“I literally drilled him with past papers because that’s how I know how to study,” she said.

Due to his condition, Jarese is allocated a reader and a scribe and early Wednesday morning, when the Guyana Chronicle visited the school, he was readily seated and his scribe and reader were there to help him.

Following the completion of the English Language and Science examinations, which were the examinations written on the first day of the NGSA, Jeffrey greeted his mother with all smiles.

“It was fine,” he told the Guyana Chronicle. “I managed good, the exams just good.” The young boy also indicated that so far, he felt “confident” with the examinations.

“Based on what we did, I’m also confident in him,” his mother chimed in.

His mother also explained that not once has she seen caring for son as a challenge. “It’s not challenging, he’s my kid and so there’s no option here when it comes to your child,” she said.

She also indicated that the support her son has received from educators and persons from the Ministry of Education has been tremendous. And, among his peers, there has not been a shortage of care and consideration for him.
As Jarese joins the thousands of children continuing the exams today, his mother wished to leave a message for all the pupils. “Even if you don’t make it to any of the top schools, it’s not the end. Life has just begun,” she shared.