Top NGSA performers of Region Three awarded

The Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Three) Education Department in collaboration
with the private sector of the region honoured the top 22 NGSA performers in the region at a
ceremony held at the Aracari Resort.
Education Minister, Priya Manickchand expressed the view that the children’s performance is
an example of what can be achieved when the Government and people work together to allow
persons to thrive and become their best.
Manickchand said that the benefit of collaboration is one of the lessons that the COVID-19
pandemic has taught Guyanese, especially those in the education sector. “We can face any
challenge that comes to us if there is some level of cooperation and unity,” the education
minister said.

Manickchand noted that ensuring children were prepared to write the NGSA this year took
willpower along with the desire and the investments to make it happen. “It took teachers during
this time to step up. Teachers both in the private and public schools during this time refashioned
what they knew to do,” she said.
She said that the education ministry also rolled out several initiatives to provide the necessary
assistance to the Grade six pupils.
These initiatives the minister said included the refashioning of the Guyana Learning Channel to
air pre-recorded lessons done by local teachers, producing the NGSA Booster programme which
was available on the Guyana Learning Channel and Youtube, launching the Quiz Me Platform
on the Ministry’s website, producing the Whiz Kids game show and also distributing the
necessary textbooks, worksheets and study notes to all Grade six pupils in the public sector.
Additionally, the Ministry also developed the consolidated curriculum that focused specifically on
the topics students needed to learn to write the examination up to the Grade Five level.
Manickchand commenting on the development of secondary level education in the region,
announced that for the first time, a school in Region Three will be offering the Caribbean
Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). This, she said will be done at the West Demerara
Secondary School. The minister said the aim of her Ministry is to ensure students across Guyana
have access to the same level of secondary education regardless of which school they are placed
in.
The education minister promised that before the end of this year, the Ministry is looking to have
CAPE offered at the Anna Regina Secondary School in Region Two and at the Annandale
Secondary School on the East Coast of Demerara, Region Four.
Inshan Ayube, Regional Chairman of Region Three commended the Guyana Government for
implementing the many initiatives to help students remain engaged and to prepare them to write

the examination. He noted that a lot of hard work went into the various programmes despite still
having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic which negatively impacted the education sector
across the country.
Devendre Persaud, Regional Education Officer (REdO) in his overview said that 1836 candidates
wrote the NGSA in the region with 104 students being awarded places at Queen’s College, the
Bishops’ High, St. Stanislaus College, St. Rose’s High and St. Joseph’s High School. He went
on to point out that 376 students were awarded List A schools, 687 students were awarded List
B schools, 504 students were awarded List C schools while the remaining candidates were
placed at List D to F schools.
The REdO said that it is the first time in the history of the NGSA that the majority of students
were in the upper bracket. He identified the region’s top student this year as Gizelle A.
Nicholson from Leonora Primary who achieved 520 marks and was awarded a place at Queen’s
College. He said all of the 22 awardees today were awarded a place at Queen’s College.
“Despite all the challenges during this pandemic, I must say that Region Three has continued to
perform excellently. None of this would have been possible without your (Minister
Manickchand) outstanding and dedicated leadership and the tireless and dedicated work of all
officers, headteachers, teachers, parents and all other stakeholders in Region Three,” Persaud
remarked.
Devendra Rampersaud, the Private Sector representative of the Region advised the students to
keep reaching for greatness and reminded them that an investment in education pays the best
interest.