President’s College is maintaining its tradition of excellence by gaining 100% passes in 22 subject areas at the 2011 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams.
PC gained 100% passes (Grades 1-3) and recorded 94%, 98%, 98% and 83% (Grades 1-2) in Mathematics, English B, English A and Caribbean History, graduates, parents and other well-wishers heard at its 21st graduation exercise held on Thursday. The school is also celebrating its 26th anniversary, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
Jonique Crawford was named Best Overall Performer, earning 13 subjects comprising nine grade ones, four grade twos at CXC. Other top performers are Sheena Chin, Nichole Haynes and Vikesh Bisson who attained 12, 11 and nine subjects respectively.
In his feature address, Prime Minister Samuels Hinds told the graduates that he was pleased to see Guyanese students continuing the trend of success at the CSEC and the CAPE examinations. He pointed out that Guyana gained 16 of the 28 awards that were given to top performers in the Region who wrote the 2011 CSEC.
“Good academic achievements have always been the hallmark of Guyana,” Hinds said, singling out PC and Queen’s College among the institutions that continue to take the lead in securing these honours. The prime minister urged the graduates to reflect on the lessons they learnt throughout their five-years at PC, particularly those about history and the transformation of the developed world and Guyana which should fill them with a sense of reverence and responsibility.
“It’s important to have those feelings of reverence, of the things that were before us and have been [passed] down to us and to feel the effort to challenge and build on that which is there,” he said. Hinds noted that government aims to attain a level whereby every child can access education and it has steadily been able to move closer to realising this goal.
PC Principal Carlyn Canterbury challenged the graduates to strive for excellence not only in their future academic pursuits but in every aspect of their endeavours. She urged them to pursue excellence in their daily lives. Canterbury also noted that the school would not have been able to reach and maintain its continuing success without its many support systems, and for this reason it will continue to engage these supporting systems, including its staff as it continues to maintain top standards. The principal said the school has facilitated enriching activities that support students’ development and they have excelled in these areas as well as in extra-curricular activities. The school’s curriculum is also steadily updated to ensure the teaching programmes are relevant and in keeping with the curriculum set by the ministry.
Valedictorian and Best Graduating CAPE student Afua Alder told her peers to cherish the bonds of friendship they established during their time at the institution as they look forward to achieving bigger, better dreams. “Dream now for the future,” she charged them, adding that “There will be obstacles as you go on,” but “embrace the challenges of these obstacles as they will determine who you are.”
Chief Education Officer Olato Sam also attended the ceremony.
