President David Granger on Thursday afternoon presented a 30-seater bus to President’s College in order to assist with the transport of students, particularly those who have to pay high transportation costs to get to school.
According to a Ministry of the Presidency press release, Granger handed over the vehicle at the school’s 34th anniversary and 29th graduation ceremony, which was held at its Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara compound.
At the ceremony, 146 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) students graduated from the institution.
In an address to the graduands, Granger noted that the relatives of students would spend as much as $5,000 per week in transportation alone. “The last time… a child, I don’t know if she is still here [but] I think she lives at Mahaica and she told me that her family was spending $5,000 a week to get her to school here at Golden Grove. I couldn’t tolerate that so I walked with some keys today,” he said.
Granger also said that following the government’s planned launch of its “Decade of Development” next year, emphasis will be placed on the ensuring that every child attends school and that those in the 14 to 16 age range complete their secondary education.
He further reiterated that free education will be given priority during the 2020 to 2029 period and that free university education will be restored. “No Guyanese should have to pay for education after the Decade is launched,” he was quoted as saying
The ministry said Granger also told the graduating students that Guyana “is on the threshold of major changes, which will ensure that every citizen benefit from enhanced economic and educational opportunities and higher standards of living.”
He said the country is about to become a “petroleum” state, a “green” state and a “digital” state, which will make it a better place for everyone.
The petroleum state, he noted, will boost national development, result in the expansion of the economy, an increase in revenues, the availability of more resources for public education and improvements in public infrastructure, public health, public telecommunications, public security, social protection and utilities such as electricity and water.
Additionally, he said emphasis will be placed on the protection of the environment, the preservation of biodiversity, the adoption of the use of renewable energy and practical measures to ensure climate adaptation, in keeping with his vision to transform Guyana into a “green” state and protecting the country’s natural resources for the present and future generations.
The “digital” state, he further said, will see every household, neighbourhood, school, community, region and government agency linked.
“Guyana will need highly-skilled persons to populate these new economic sectors. It will need an ‘A-to-Z’ corps of scientists – from agronomists and cardiologists to zoologists, if we are to sustain transformational national development,” he said. “It is for this reason that we are emphasising Science and Technology education, which will allow us to acquire the skills needed to propel development and to make the country more competitive internationally,” he added.
The ministry noted that in 2016, Granger presented the school with a cheque for $1 million to improve its science laboratories, thereby supporting the College’s science programme.
He applauded the College for maintaining standards of excellence in both science and non-science subjects and observed that the school has held true to its character and charter since it opened its doors to classes in 1985, having “earned a proud reputation and produced graduates educated” in science and technology.
Granger was also reported as saying that is the government’s vision to ensure that there is a school of excellence in every capital town in every region.
“It is my vision that President’s College, unique as it is, should be replicated in those four [new] towns, so that people can see [what you all] have been up to and enjoy the good life,” he said. “Guyana belongs to you. The future starts today for you, the 29th graduating class of President’s College. You are graduating at a time when we are on the threshold of momentous changes. Your generation has a unique opportunity to fulfil its dreams and to realise its fullest potential. I encourage you to make the most of the many opportunities which these changes will open. Guyana needs you…,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mahendra Carpen, Head of Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, in a charge to the students, urged them to have big dreams. “It must reflect on who you are and where you’ve been to school,” he was quoted as saying, while adding that the late President Forbes Burnham dreamt of establishing the school and he ensured that it became a reality.
The release noted that Carpen was among the first set of students who commenced classes in 1985 when the President’s College opened its doors.
Carpen also called on the students to pursue careers outside of science if they so desire. “You don’t all have to be doctors or lawyers. We need poets, artists, musicians too. I have spent my life in Science, yet I envy those with the precious gifts and talents that bring our emotions alive,” he said.
The release also noted that the Principal (Ag) Samantha Success detailed the school’s excellent performances at both examination and she said that of the 31 subjects sat at the CSEC exams, most of the students recorded a 100% pass rate.
