President’s College Graduands told that they need to exercise discipline and commitment towards achieving goals

(Friday, November 3, 2017) – Yesterday, Thursday November 2, 2017, President’s College held its 27^th Graduation Exercise under the theme: “Discipline and Commitment, the Hallmark of Ultimate Success.”

Delivering the Charge to the students was former PC student, Ms. Angeline Autar, who is now a lecturer at the University of Guyana, Tain Campus.

Ms. Autar used the graduating theme to steer her presentation. She told the students that they should interpret the theme starting with the outcome, which is ultimate success. She said that the accomplishments which the graduands were celebrating signify that they are on a path to more successes.

Ms. Autar told the students that as they proceed to milestones of family life and career, there will be many more moments for celebration. She said that when the students identify what success means to them, it is their responsibility to exercise discipline and commitment towards achieving their dreams.

According to the former PC student, by doing this, the students will be creating a contractual agreement with themselves; made in the mind and countersigned by personal will to execute.

She charged the students to embrace virtue as their standard of excellence and to recognise that to be truly excellent, means learning how to live together for a common good that is bigger than self.

She explained that unlike the conditions of secondary school where teachers try to mould disciplined students, when they leave school, being disciplined will solely fall on their shoulders. Ms. Autar said that being a disciplined person will become harder as the discipline to achieve goals will need to come from within.

Ms. Autar urged the graduands to relate their actions to the goals they wish to achieve. ““I charge you to remain true to the best versions of yourselves and when in doubt always remember that motto that has guided through your years of study, we can, we must, we will”.

Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Marcel Hutson while delivering the feature address told the graduands that he expects the standard of performance to continue, regardless of the path they choose through life and work.

He told the students that it is clear they possess the drive, determination and enterprising qualities required to be the best. “Let us remember that it is forward thinking students like these who will lead the way into the new development of a dynamic and enterprising Guyana of the future.”

Mr. Hutson stressed that the importance of education can never be overemphasized. He said that many consider it to be the key that opens doors. The CEO spoke to the teachers and reminded them that as educators they are involved in a fundamental and serious form of liberation, “…that of the mind. To set people free. To let them know what they do not have to remain as they are for the rest of their days. A man’s life is not determined by his beginnings. It is how you end people actually judge you.”

Further, he said that society cannot survive without education and without people that are educated. He said that Guyanese live in a dynamic world that is going through changes and education helps will facilitate adjustments to these changes.

“Education is therefore the vehicle for which persons understand these changes and is provided with the skills for adjusting to them. Before leaving the podium, the CEO said that the performance of the school is quite commendable. However, he urged the administration strive to improve the performance in the years to come.

Informing the audience about the performance of the school was its Principal, Ms. Carlyn Canterbury.

She related that of the 28 subjects offered at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) level, students achieved 100 per cent passes in the following 18 subject areas: Agriculture Science, Biology, Economics, Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM), Family and Resource Management, Food and Nutrition, Human and Social Biology, Industrial Technology Building, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Office Administration, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies, Technical Drawing, Textile, Clothing and Fashion, Visual Arts and Physical Education.

She added that students also achieved 80 to 99 per cent passes in Additional Mathematics, English A, French and Mathematics. Students also achieved between 38.85 and 66.67 per cent passes in Chemistry, English B, Geography, Industrial Technology (Electricity), Physics and Spanish.

As it relates to overall percentage passes, the school achieved 87.54 passes. This includes 225 grade ones, 320 grade twos, 205 grade threes, 90 grade fours, 19 grade fives and two grade six.

The top CSEC Cape Student is Geetanjalie Rambali. She wrote 12 subjects and achieved 10 grade ones and two grade twos. The runner-up outstanding CSEC student is Jessica Joseph. She also wrote 12 subjects and achieved 10 grade ones and two grade twos.

Further, Ms. Canterbury informed that of the 32 subjects offered at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level, there were 100 per cent passes from grades one to five. These subject areas are: Accounting Unit 1, Agriculture Science, Caribbean Studies, Chemistry Unit 2, Computer Science Unit 1, Entrepreneurship Unit 1, Entrepreneurship Unit 2, Food Science Unit 1, Food Science Unit 2, Geography Unit 1.

The top performing CAPE student for the 2016-2017 period is Ms. Cymone Nedd. She obtained seven units in 2016 and five units in 2017. The runner-up top CAPE performer is Ms. Toneshia Peters, she achieved two grade ones, one grade three and three grade fours.

According to the Principal, the school has set projections which it wants to achieve. Among these are a reduction of grade threes and fours at CSEC, a reduction of grades four and five at CAPE, 100 per cent passes in all subjects at CSEC and CAPE and a 10 per cent improvement of the matriculation rate in the 2018 exams.