Georgetown: President’s College (PC) held its 28th orientation exercise to welcome the 2013 – 2014 batch of new students to the college. Students and parents from all walks of life and from as far as the hinterland attended this most informative event, to learn about the ways in which students entering the college can prepare for a smooth transition from primary to secondary school and be successfully integrated into the student life at PC. This forum outlined the high standards required by this school of excellence, and encouraged students and parents alike, to ensure they endeavor to emulate and maintain the high standards for which PC is known.
Former student and Guyana scholar Toussaint Boyce in addressing the gathering, challenged them to take full advantage of the opportunities provided them by being part of the PC family experience. He charged the students in particular to utilise every opportunity possible to be better individuals with strong characters. “It is important that you see PC as an opportunity to build character. Given all the negatives you will hear while here and that you will read in the press and that people will tell you to try to dissuade from staying at the school; use every disadvantage, every challenge, every time the water goes out or the lights go out; whatever it is as an opportunity to build character,” he said.
Boyce further urged parents to be fully supportive of their children especially since they are away at the college, emphasizing that responsible parenting inculcates strong discipline in the lives of children. “A lot of it depends on you (parents) having inculcated good habits in the home by doing simple things like letting them (children) know where yes ends and where no begins in certain things that they do. For example, have them pay attention to their studies, turn off the TV, turn down the loud music, and ensure they listen to the right lyrics. Those habits are inculcated in PC,” Boyce said.
He pointed out to the students gathered, that even though he originated from very humble beginnings, he was able to stay focused, disciplined and committed in his quest to be an excellent and well rounded student, and to demonstrate the virtues of the same PC to which they have now been admitted. In concluding his remarks, he said: “Aspire to excellence in your commitment to God, commitment to family, commitment to your country, commitment to community, commitment to others, and most particularly commitment to your school.”
Delivering the feature address was the Honourable Minister of Education Priya Manickchand who began by showing great appreciation for the hard working staff at the college for their dedication and steadfast commitment to maintaining PC as a true school of excellence in Guyana.
“This is a school of excellence and its records over the years would have shown that the students who have come in here have groomed themselves and have been guided to be the best that they can be,” she said.
The minister took the opportunity to introduce to the children and parents gathered, the new board of governors of PC, which includes: Dr. Mahender Sharma (Chairman), Ms Francesca Vieira Deputy Chairman, Ms. Jennifer Bourne, Mr. Kwesi Anthony Isles, Ms. Coretta Mc Donald, Ms. Teresa Gaime, Mr. Aditya Persaud, Ms. Natasha Beerjit, Ms. Geneveieve Blackman, Ms. Michella Abraham-Ali, Ms. Joy Persaud, Mr. Patrick Findlay, Staff Representative and Student Representative (both of which are to be named).
In addressing the sustained growth of the institution through the years, the Minister pointed out that despite the many challenges faced, PC has continued to evolve as a premier education institution in Guyana. She alluded to the fact that in 1985 only 11 subjects were offered as against 29 in 2013.
The Minister also highlighted the fact that government continues to invest significantly in PC. “In 2013 the budgetary allocation is GUY$217,073M and Capital investment is GUY$24M which amounts to a grand total of GUY$241,073M…this year each student is expected to receive benefits of GUY$391,000 per student. This is the highest amount of resources moneywise that this school has ever received.”
The investments in PC are yielding tangible results and may be justified. The minister told the gathering that, “From 2007 – 2012, 100 percent of the students writing 14 subjects passed. Of the 29 subjects written, 14 of them got a pass rate of 100 percent, 3 of them 99 percent, 5 of them between 90-99 percent, 4 of them in the 80s, 2 of them in the 70s. The lowest passing rate of 67.5 percent was in French. While in 2007, 20 percent passed French, in 2012, 100 percent passed French, so even in this subject there was excellence.”
She urged the students gathered to be the best they can be, to make use of the opportunity of the high quality of education being afforded them, and to do their best to further enhance the college. “It is your duty now to take PC to the next level. This can happen once you apply yourselves and pay attention to your school work…I encourage you not to be totally focused on academics alone…pay attention to the other things that are happening in this school: the elocution, the sporting activities, the debates, the various clubs. Look after those amongst you who might not be doing their best,” she urged.
“You have that duty to make sure you open your hearts and your minds to become the people of character that will lead Guyana tomorrow,” the minister encouraged as she delivered her final charge to the students.
The Minister also addressed the parents present. She was in particular praise for the fathers who attended and she said that the research is clear; that parents who were involved in their children’s lives will be rewarded with children who excel in every field. The Minister spent considerable time on what being a good parent is and how that might be achieved.
The Minister offered those present the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the school remains a school of excellence and that the students’ needs continue to be met at the highest possible standard.
Many of the parents gathered expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the teachers and the ministry for facilitating such an important orientation exercise of which they were a part. They were in abundance with their praise for the sagacious advice they received from the two main speakers and the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the buildings, the environment, as well as some of the rich culture of PC.
The Parents also said that after they had read about the school in the press they wondered whether to bring in their children and they are glad that they did as what they see is totally different from the reports.
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