North Georgetown Primary’s Samuel Barkoye and Stella Maris Primary’s Rovin Lall share Guyana’s top spot at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).
The two students, who gained a total of 525 marks out of a possible 528 marks, were named as the top students by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, who made the announcement at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development’s auditorium yesterday.
The 12 students who attained the highest scores were among those present for the announcement.
Alexander Singh, who placed third with 524 marks coming from Marian Academy, told this newspaper that he went into the assessment room with the intention of being just like his father. Singh said he never thought he’d secure the third position. His father, Francis Singh had also placed third.
The older Singh said that “Alexander has always been an exemplary child” but it was still a surprise that he did this well. The family knew that the Marian Academy student has always seen his father’s good grades as an example and competition to beat. The proud father said that after schools closed prematurely in March his son faced some challenges as is expected but Singh Jr was able to continue learning through online methods incorporated by the school he attended.
Meanwhile coming in at fourth place, a position shared with Brandon Ramdin, is Liana Dharampaul of Mon Repos Primary. With 523 marks, Dharampaul has secured her spot at Queen’s College. Hoping to someday become an accountant, the NGSA top performer said she is both happy and proud of herself.
Her mother, Indrawattee Seegobin said that while she is very proud of Dharampaul, being a top achiever has been a pattern she observed in her daughter since the National Grade Two and Four Assessments. Seegobin said that her daughter was a top performer then as well. Her mother also said that she has disciplined herself in her studies and would never have to be forced to study and she would often take it upon herself to decide when she had done enough studying and would take breaks as needed.
Sharing the sixth position were three students, Gabriel Felix, of the New Guyana School, Britney Peters, of One Mile Primary, and Dhanesh Tularam, of Academy of Excellence, who all attained 521 marks.
Yuki Clarke, Charisma Etwaroo and Salmah Bacchus, all of the Academy of Excellence, and Robert Forrester, of Winfer Gardens Primary, shared the ninth position.
The examination this year carried a total of 528 marks.
Barkoye, during an interview with Stabroek News, said he felt overwhelmed that he was now able to attend the school of his dreams—Queen’s College.
Barkoye, who resides at Grove, East Bank Demerara is considering becoming an Electrical Engineer, because he loves building things and exploring electricity.
He added that while he expected to do well, he did not expect the joint number one position.
Tamika Barkoye, Samuel’s mother, stated that while she felt very excited, her son’s success was not a complete surprise to her.
The proud mother stated that they knew that he would have done well. She said that in addition to the support he received from his teachers, Barkoye always had support at home, including from his sisters, who also earned top positions in previous years
She further related that her son was somewhat troubled due to the COVID-19 situation, especially when the ministry could not settle on a date for the exams.
At one point, she said, he became a bit uneasy, but once the date was set he was disciplined and she and his father did their part by ensuring that they reviewed his work.
Rovin Lall said he worked really hard and felt very proud of his results.
Lall said his preparation for the examination included revising every night as well as constantly practicing, which he thinks helped him overcome some of the constraints of sitting examinations during a pandemic.
He was, however, surprised that he topped. He said, “Sometimes you are sure about something and sometime you are not.”
Lall, who hails from Triumph Village, on the East Coast of Demerara, said that his desire is to become a doctor so he can help people.
His mother, Indranie Lall, told this newspaper that she was extremely excited but was not surprised at her son’s accomplishments.
She stated that they worked with a very tight schedule and she noted that some days he was unsure but she reassured him that his work would pay off.
However, she also stated that she did make way for disappointments.
She singled out his teacher, Carlette Morrison, for the hard work she put in with all of her students.
In brief, she congratulated all the students, and added that parents need to always play a major part in their children’s education.
Brandon Ramdin, one of the students who attained fourth place, told this newspaper that he was happy with his performance.
Ramdin said he is thankful to God and his parents and teachers who were with him all the way.
During his preparation, he said, he did a lot of studying and additional reading.
The student, who revealed his liking for Science, said his intention is to become an engineer.
His mother stated that she was not surprised at his accomplishments and added that he had a very good support system behind him.
