30.OCT.09

Students throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines converged at the Victoria Park on Friday, October 23, as the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National Cultural Foundation and the National Independence Committee, held the Schools’ Independence Rally.{{more}}

The Rally is held annually as part of the Independence Programme. This year the Rally was held to highlight the outstanding academic achievements of students in the A’ level exams and to showcase the talents of students in St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

Speaking at the rally, Chief Education Officer (ag) Louann Gilchrist said this year the Ministry has worked with the National Cultural Foundation and the National Independence Committee to ensure that the annual Independence Rally reflects excellence in all aspects of life. She said as Vincentians we need to pool our physical, intellectual and spiritual resources in order to shape our nation into one that would provide opportunities for the youths and adults to develop to their full potential so that they can propel the nation forward in order to meet the new and emerging challenges of the 21st century.

Gilchrist made it clear that no hand is too young or too small to participate in the process of nation building. She said the country’s youths are immediate and direct beneficiaries of the Education Revolution. She said the future of the nation rests in their hands. She further stated that the skills, attitude and knowledge of the youths determine the quality of our lives. Gilchrist told the students to step up and honour the nation in anyway they can. She implored the students to strive for excellence in all aspects of life.

Meanwhile, representative of the Youth Commonwealth Programme Nazim Gittens made a call on government to implement National Youth Policies to ensure a maximum of young people in the development process. He also called on youth stakeholders to strengthen existing networks and build strategic alliances to ensure resources are pruned to benefit a wider target of stake holders and to improve the delivery of the programme.

Gittens called on young people to increase their knowledge of what is taking place in the country to hold society and each other accountable for progress, and to redouble efforts to be organized, thereby streng-thening our youth networks as advocates and catalysts.

Twenty students who are winners of Scholarships, Bursaries and Exhibitions were awarded for their outstanding performance in the A’ level exams, while two persons were awarded for their outstanding contribution to Culture and the Arts in Education. Aljay Massiah, the top scholar, got a gold medal, the Prime Minister’s Award, a plaque of appreciation, along with a cheque of $10,000 which is outside of his five year scholarship.(API)