THE Region Three Department of Education, in collaboration with the private sector, honoured the top 22 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) performers in the region at a ceremony held at the Aracari Resort on Wednesday.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, said that the pupils’ performance is an example of what can be achieved when the government and people work together to allow persons to thrive and become their best.

She said that the benefit of collaboration is one of the lessons that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught Guyanese, especially those in the education sector. She said, “We can face any challenge that comes to us if there is some level of co-operation and unity.”

Minister Manickchand said that ensuring the pupils were prepared to write the NGSA this year took willpower, along with the desire and the investments to make it happen. “It took teachers during this time to step up. Teachers both in the private and public schools during this time refashioned what they knew to do,” the Education Minister noted.

She said that the Ministry of Education also rolled out several initiatives to provide the necessary assistance to the Grade Six pupils.
These initiatives included the refashioning of the Guyana Learning Channel to air pre-recorded lessons done by local teachers, producing the NGSA Booster Programme which was available on the Guyana Learning Channel and Youtube, launching the Quiz Me Platform on the Ministry’s website, producing the Whiz Kids game show and also distributing the necessary textbooks, worksheets and study notes to all Grade Six pupils in the public sector.

In addition, the ministry also developed a consolidated curriculum that focused specifically on the topics students needed to learn to write the examination up to the Grade Five level.

Speaking on the development of secondary level education in the region, the Education Minister announced that for the first time, a school in Region Three will be offering the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). She said this will be done at the West Demerara Secondary School. According to Minister Manickchand, the aim of the ministry is to ensure learners across Guyana have access to the same level of secondary education regardless of which school they are placed in.

She said that before the end of this year, the ministry is looking to have CAPE offered at the Anna Regina Secondary School in Region Two and at the Annandale Secondary School on the East Coast of Demerara, Region Four

Regional Chairman of Region Three, Inshan Ayube, said that the Government of Guyana must be commended for implementing the many initiatives to help students remain engaged and to prepare them to write the examination. He said that a lot of hard work went into the various programmes despite still having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic which negatively impacted the education sector across the country.

Regional Education Officer, Devendre Persaud, in his overview, said that 1836 candidates wrote the NGSA in the region with, 104 students being awarded places at Queen’s College, the Bishops’ High, St. Stanislaus College, St. Rose’s High and St. Joseph’s High School. Further, he said that 376 students were awarded List A schools, 687 students were awarded List B schools, 504 students were awarded List C schools while the remaining candidates were placed at List D to F schools.

According to Persaud, it is the first time in the history of the NGSA that the majority of students were in the upper bracket. The region’s top student this year is Gizelle A. Nicholson from Leonora Primary, who achieved 520 marks and was awarded a place at Queen’s College. All of the 22 awardees today were awarded a place at Queen’s College.

“Despite all the challenges during this pandemic, I must say that Region Three has continued to perform excellently. None of this would have been possible without your (Minister Manickchand) outstanding and dedicated leadership and the tireless and dedicated work of all officers, headteachers, teachers, parents and all other stakeholders in Region Three,” Persaud remarked.

Representing the private sector of the region was Devendra Rampersaud, who advised the students to keep reaching for greatness and that an investment in education pays the best interest.

The students honoured on Friday are listed below. They have all been placed at Queen’s College