President inspiration to female students

THE EDITOR: The installation of new President Paula-Mae Weekes is a timely example to inspire and motivate all women in TT, especially our female students, to strive for excellence.

I watched the ceremony on television and as a woman I was deeply touched and felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment for this outstanding woman. I also noticed a very large number of girls among the hundreds of schoolchildren who were afforded the opportunity to witness this historic event.

This society has seen an increase in the number of fights involving our female student. The most recent was a brawl on Frederick Street, Port of Spain, involving a large group of schoolgirls. This incident was described by Education Minister Anthony Garcia as very worrying.

Ironically, Garcia, in extending congratulations to Weekes, said she symbolises for the young women of TT that anything is possible as long as they work hard. He also urged young women at every level of their academic journey to stand proud and to follow in Weekes’ footsteps.

Weekes, former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Calypso Rose are only three of the many examples to inspire our young women to strive for excellence and to serve country. These women and many others have paved the way for our females to follow.

I hope that schoolgirls throughout TT will be motivated to follow in the footsteps of the new President and take full advantage of the educational opportunities being made available by the Ministry of Education.

ANITA ALI, St James