Education Ministry recognises exceptional performers at National Awards Ceremony

Oct 28, 2017 News, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...nal-awards-ceremony/

– Michael Bhopaul, other QC students steal show

The National Cultural Centre wasn’t filled to capacity but it might as well have been, as loud applause and screams resounded within its walls when the National and Regional 2017 Caribbean Secondary Education Certification [CSEC] top performer, Michael Bhopaul, was invited to the stage to receive awards for his performance.

The event was the Ministry of Education’s 2017 National Awards Ceremony.

The celebratory momentum continued when Rawletta Barrow, Roshaw Cummings and Jelena Arjune were also called up to receive awards.
While the sounds of jubilation seemed to suggest that Queen’s College [QC] was well represented in the audience, a glance around the venue revealed that students from near and far were rooting for the outstanding performers of the premier education institution.

Officials announced yesterday that the performance of that school allowed it to take all of the awards for Best Senior Secondary Performers at this year’s sitting of CSEC.

Bhopaul, Barrow, Cummings and Arjune were all recipients of these awards. Bhopaul, with his 25 grade one passes, and Barrow, with her 19 grade one passes, are now eligible for Presidential scholarship awards for being the best performing students at CSEC this year.
Securing the best junior secondary school performer awards were Keshini Digamber of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan [SVN]; Shontel Archer also of SVN, and Nicholas Headley of Anna Regina Secondary.

The awards for QC continued with Bhopaul being named and duly awarded for being the Most Outstanding Overall National and Regional CSEC performer, Best Science performer and having the Best performance in Creative and Expressive Arts. He also secured awards for being the Most Outstanding in Business, Most Outstanding in Science, and Most Outstanding in Technical Vocational at the regional level.

Bhopaul’s schoolmate, Cummings, was also awarded for Best performance in Creative and Expressive Arts, and Barrow received an accolade for being the Most Outstanding in Humanities.

Atiquah Roshandin, also from QC, for her performance at CSEC, was awarded with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants [ACCA] award. This award was brought into being through a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that facilitated the establishment of mutual cooperation between the Caribbean Examinations Council [CXC] and the ACCA.

The lone ‘out-of-town’ student securing top CXC awards this year is Eion Jotis of New Amsterdam Multilateral. He was yesterday eligible for an award for being identified by CXC for CARDI/CXC Awards for Outstanding performance in CSEC Agricultural Science (Double Award)

Another student who claimed a CXC award was Aasim Baksh of St. Stanislaus College for the Best Short Story.

There were even more QC students awarded yesterday for being the outstanding performers at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination [CAPE]. They are Shannon Woodroffe and Ashley Anthony.

Woodroffe was also awarded for being the Best performer at CAPE [2016-2017], the Most Outstanding in Natural Sciences and the Most Outstanding in Mathematics.

Although both Anthony and Woodroffe are eligible for Presidential Scholarship Awards for their performance at CAPE, there were students from other schools who recorded outstanding performances and were duly rewarded yesterday.

Along with the QC duo, Shawn Shewram of St Rose’s High and Vamanadev Hiralall of SVN were awarded as Best CAPE performers in 2017.

Other outstanding performers awarded yesterday were the top National Grade Six Assessment [NGSA] performers: Saskia Twahir of School of the Nations [524 marks]; Clifton Bacchus of Mae’s Under 12 [523 marks]; Gabriella Roberts of Success Elementary [523 marks]; Xiana Chabila of Graham’s Hall Primary [523 marks]; Amelia Sugrim [523 marks] and Antonia Dey [523 marks] both of Academy of Excellence; Brandon Gouveia [522 marks] and Emily Lalchand [522 marks] both of Academy of Excellence; Raj Seeram of Swami Purnananda Primary [522 marks]; Tristan Persaud of Academy of Excellence [522 marks]; Jerod Roberts of Marian Academy [522 marks]; Tristan Richards of Dharmic Rama Krishna [522 marks]; Muhammed Bacchus of ISA Islamic [522 marks]; Tia Chung of Success Elementary [522 marks] and Kripa Thani of Mae’s Under 12 [522 marks].

Other outstanding performers awarded were students from the Government Technical Institute [GTI] including: Dean Samaroo [Technician Certificate in Mechanical Engineering]; Hardial Sawh [Technician Diploma in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering]; Zack Effendi [Ordinary Diploma in Commerce]; Shaqueon Scott [Ordinary Diploma in Science] and Dennis Bagot [Diploma in Computer Science].

Outstanding performers of the Carnegie School of Home Economics were also duly recognised yesterday. They were: Sarah Henry [Diploma in Catering and Hospitality]; Vonette George [Certificate in Garment Construction]; Abigail Bowen [Certificate in Commercial Food Preparation]; Alexis Whoseley [Certificate in General Cosmetology]; Tiffany Lowe [Certificate in Interior Decoration], Rheya Gittens [Visual Arts] and Abigail Semple [Garment Construction].

Biron Marks [Craft Certificate in Electrical Installation] of the Guyana Sugar Corporation Training Centre was also awarded, as was the Best graduating student of the Cyril Potter College of Education, Nirupa Manroop of Rose Hall Centre.

Meanwhile, at yesterday’s ceremony too, Aungelle Henry of Santa Rosa Secondary was awarded the Desrey Fox Scholarship. Also announced were: the Most Improved Primary School – Annai Primary; the Most Improved Junior Secondary School – Friendship Secondary and Most Improved Senior Secondary – St. Rose’s High.

Special prizes were awarded to Region Eight [Potaro Siparuni] for being the Most Improved Region in Mathematics; Lord Anthony Edwards, a student with vision challenges, who performed well at CAPE and wheelchair user, Rajni Persaud, of President College, were both awarded for performing exceptionally despite their physical shortcomings.

Yesterday’s event was further enhanced by a number of entertaining performances from various schools and addresses by Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

In her remarks Minister Henry said to the awardees: “today we celebrate your accomplishments and to make it clear that you are exemplary students who have passed the test as a student…”

In commending the efforts of the students and the importance of yesterday’s ceremony, the Minister underscored that “in life high achievement is rewarded with accolades, rewards and respect.”

And according to Prime Minister Nagamootoo, “life is about moving from a lower point to a higher point and you today students, at your various levels of achievements, have proven that you are moving.”