BEVERAGE giant, Ansa McAl, continued its support towards the education sector in Guyana by, once again, partnering with the Ministry of Education (MoE) to reward the top performers at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) with bursaries.

At a ceremony held at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) on Wednesday, the first 17 of a total 118 bursaries were handed over to pupils, who smilingly accepted their rewards. In addition to bursaries of $10,000, each pupil received a haversack.
The top 10 pupils of each education district will be among those receiving bursaries. This is the third consecutive year that Ansa McAl has come on board to tangibly reward the pupils. Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry, extended gratitude to the company for rewarding the deserving pupils.

“Hard work and success deserve recognition, and so we will continue with this partnership with Ansa McAl, we will go around the country and we will recognise our pupils who have performed very well in all the regions in the country. I say to Ansa McAl your commitment is certainly in alignment with the MoE and I want to express our thank you to the company for partnering with us,” Dr. Henry expressed.

She cautioned the pupils, even as they enjoy their accomplishment, to be cognisant that it [NGSA] marks only the beginning, with there still being a long way to go, and a lot more work to be done to continue excelling in their education.

“I’ve never seen them advertise in the newspaper or on any forum asking for your common entrance results for a job, so you have a long way to go. You will go on to complete your secondary school and I ask that you pay attention, do not be distracted by this success, this is the beginning of a very, very long journey,” the minister urged.

She further stated, “Do not become comfortable and relaxed but reflect on your path and endeavor to continue along the way and even carve new pathways that may result in greater achievements. The MoE applauds your outstanding achievements and the performances of all of your colleagues.”
Speaking at the ceremony on behalf of Ansa McAl was Brand Manager, Errol Nelson, who noted the company’s pleasure in giving back to society.

“Ansa McAl remains committed to the development of education. As leaders we must think beyond our own interests, so we will continue challenging ourselves to do better, never underestimating the opportunity to give back to humanity,” Nelson said as he encouraged the pupils to dream big.
Also making remarks at the ceremony was Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson, who encouraged the pupils and thanked Ansa McAl for their continued support of the NGSA pupils.

Additionally, the minister thanked the parents, teachers, and education officials for their hard work towards ensuring that the pupils did well at the NGSA.

A total of 14,300 pupils wrote the assessment in April. The examination tested the pupils in the areas Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies.

With a highest possible score of 536, Dave Chowtie of Graham’s Hall Primary School and Venisha Lall of C V Nunes Primary School shared the top place with both attaining the highest score of 532.