Return to help Tobago

STUDENTS who placed in the top ten in the Caribbean at the 2019 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations have been recognised for their achievements.

On Thursday, the THA Division of Education, Innovation and Energy held a celebratory breakfast at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort, Lowlands.

Scarborough Secondary's DeJean Lewis was among those honoured after ranking second in the region and first in TT in CSEC Industrial Technology.

The results of the CAPE Examination were outstanding with ten students from the Signal Hill Secondary and Bishop’s High School placing within the top ten regionally. The CAPE Unit 1 awardees were Treverra James, Sharese Taylor and Rae-Ann Wright. CAPE Unit 2 awardees were Sharese Taylor, Danique Edwards, Shayana Daniel, Kymoi Noray, Lynisa Francis, Kershel Pierre, and Aaron George.

Additionally, Taylor and Anique Gray, from Bishop’s High School, were awarded national scholarships – an open scholarship for Language Studies and an additional scholarship for Natural Sciences, respectively.

Addressing those gathered, school supervisor 3, SherryAnn Rollocks-Hackett said it’s very easy for some individuals to look at what is happening within the sector and point out all that might be negative, adding that the positive must also be identified.

“Many times, we fail to come forward and celebrate the good things that are taking place.

“I want you to join me in really recognising these students – students, who by their performance at CSEC and CAPE were able to stand tall with students throughout the region, throughout Trinidad and Tobago. The success that we are celebrating is a reflection of collaboration, a reflection of home and school working together, that the school working together with the division, the community, the society to mould these young people and to guide them,” she said adding that “it’s also a reflection of some of the policies and the approached that the division has been implementing at the various schools.”

In delivering the feature address, Chief Secretary and Secretary of Education Kelvin Charles told the young achievers they have a responsibility to demonstrate patriotism and loyalty to the island of Tobago, as he encouraged them to return home after their studies.

“You have done exceedingly well. I commend you for shining and I trust that you will do well wherever your desires lead you.

"We look forward to the day where after your formal (tertiary) education and so on, you would return to Tobago and build this island. I know that there are times and there have been persons who having been educated and so on at universities abroad, suddenly realise that Tobago too slow for them…I hope that would not be your story,” he said.

Charles said at the last count, Tobago was second-to-last on the ladder of educational districts in TT, as he noted that the students, through these results, are showing "if the will is there, we can change it."

“We have to ensure that we feed the minds of these young persons so that we would have more scholarships. We’ll have more students doing well nationally and regionally.”

He recalled that at the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) earlier this year, three students were in the top 200, while making mention of Signal Hill Secondary, which he said has done exceptionally well this year.

“We can match anyone, we’re as good as any and better than many.

“But Principals and teachers who are here… and parents, we can’t give up on our children and while we are celebrating these awardees, there are many children out there who are hurting and mainly through no fault of theirs. It behoves us as Principals, as teachers, as parents to intervene in ways that were normal in times past,” he said.