A 12-year-old student from the Sapodilla School of Excellence secured the top position at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) for Region Five with a total of 513 marks.
Mariam Baksh, who topped the region, told Stabroek News yesterday that she hopes to one day study medicine or business. She said her older sister is working towards becoming a doctor and that sparked her interest in medicine. “I would like to help people when they are sick,” she said.
According to Baksh, her parents assisted her tremendously in preparing for the examinations. She explained, that as a result of the pandemic her school came up with a plan where a few students would go to school on specific days where “my teacher would teach us the topics and I came home and revised.”
She disclosed that her older sister would assist her with social studies and science, while her mom would assist with English, and her father with mathematics.
She then advised students to not over-stress about the examinations and to always remember to take breaks while studying. “Don’t over study at once.”
Baksh, the second of three siblings, when asked how she planned to celebrate her achievement, joked that since her father bought her a laptop before the examinations that would be her reward.
She took the opportunity to thank all of her teachers especially her Grade Five and Six teachers. She noted that despite the pandemic, her teachers were very organized and ensured they stuck to a schedule.
Copping the second spot for the region with 510 marks was Amisha Ashianna Ramjit, 12, of Latchmansingh Primary School.
Yesterday, Ramjit told Stabroek News that she hopes to one day become a lawyer and then get into politics because of Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall.
She said she would always watch Nandlall on the news and read about him in newspapers “he’s very inspirational. He inspired me with how educated he is and how he is always willing to help people,” she said.
She added, “My grandparents always talk about him and how smart he is and I hope to one day become like him and do the same for my country.”
Ramjit also thanked her parents and grandparents for pushing her and ensuring that she remained focussed.
She disclosed that although both of her parents are school dropouts, they ensured that she is up to date with her school work.
She also mentioned two teachers at the school who would always encourage her to continue to study. “My teacher was pregnant and my parents were only able to help me with as much as they know so I found it a bit difficult not really having anyone there to teach me”.
She continued, “But I study early morning and late in the nights for most days and that helped me.”
According to Ramjit, while being at home she discovered that it was easy to get addicted to her gadgets and not focus on her school work hence sometimes she would ask her parents to hide her gadgets from her.
She advised other students to always study.
Securing the region’s third spot was Gabriel Adrian Saul from the Treasures Primary Academy with 509 marks.
Saul, a Canadian, yesterday told Stabroek News that he returned to Guyana in September last year. He said his parents are Guyanese and before returning his mother explained to him that the curriculum would be different in Guyana especially with social studies. “I did revision at home with my mom for social studies and English because in Canada I attended a French school for four years.”
He said during the pandemic his school also worked out a programme where students would attend on different days.
According to Saul, when he first attended school in Guyana he noticed that the children were very noisy and would “goof around” a lot. However, he acknowledged that they were also extremely nice, so he did not have much trouble fitting in.
He explained that since he didn’t know much about the schools in the country he hoped to at least gain the President’s College but is grateful that he was able to get Bishops’ High School instead.
Meanwhile, he said he is interested in three career paths: architecture, surgery, law.
He recalled that while in Canada he watched a lot of shows with lawyers and surgeons and that he got interested in being an architect due to a game he plays where you build “stuff”.
Saul also took the opportunity to thank his parents and teachers and advised other students to “just focus on your work and try not to be distracted by your environment.”
