No scholarship winners in Tobago

THA Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles has expressed disappointment that no student in Tobago was among the 376 national scholarship winners announced by the Ministry of Education.

Of the 376 national scholarships, 186 were open scholarships and 190 were additional scholarships.

Tobago's non-representation on the scholarships list is a step back from last year when five girls on the island won scholarships – four from Bishop's High School and one from Signal Hill Secondary.

Charles, who is also the Secretary of Education, Innovation and Energy, Kelvin Charles said Tobago needs to work harder to achieve excellence.

"Disappointed, but not despondent, as we have won scholarships in the past. This is a signal to all of us that somewhere along the line we may have relaxed a bit. So I hope that this will motivate us to push harder. Every school loves to feel that sense of accomplishment from winning scholarships. So I encourage our teachers to work harder, as well as our students and parents/guardians. The school or teachers can't do it on their own. It must be a collaborative effort. The students must also have the desire to excel and be willing to put in the required work. However the support of parents/guardians is also crucial to any child's development and success. The Division of Education, Innovation and Energy also stands ready to support our institutions of learning in Tobago in an effort to achieve high levels of success."