The Ministry of Education has honoured students from nursery to secondary for attending school regularly and punctually, while recognising the vital role of parents and schools welfare officers in ensuring that children are educated.
In his feature address at the Georgetown Annual Attendance Punctuality Rally and Award Ceremony, held on Thursday at the National Cultural Centre, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam said while the ministry plays a key role in supporting the initiative, parents are an integral part of their children’s success.
“In this broader picture, the Ministry of Education has been investing a great amount of effort and resources, in ensuring that we have well trained School Welfare Officers, because a lot of the work that they do goes unnoticed,” he said, according to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release. The Chief Education Officer also said that oftentimes the welfare officers are unseen labourers, as they are the ones who are challenged to ensure that students are not lingering on the roadways, as the ministry works tirelessly to stop truancy. Every year huge sums are injected in the education system to ensure that welfare officers are better equipped to carry out their tasks effectively.
“Every child deserves to be in schools regularly and on a continuous basis. We all have a role to play in ensuring that this happens…I think that the young people we honour today are a model for the education system and the nation in general,” Sam said. He also paid tribute to teachers, noting that they too must set certain standards that they want students to attain. “We all can collectively deliver the quality of education that children deserve,” he said.
GINA said 18 nursery, 20 primary and 17 secondary schools were honoured at the ceremony.
In addition, the Stella Maris Nursery, St Margaret’s Primary and St Stanislaus College also received plaques for exceptional performance.
