PM KEYNOTES HINTERLAND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME CLOSING CEREMONIES

Hon. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds inspired and charged fifty (50) graduands during the Hinterland Scholarship Closing Exercise held at the National Exhibition Centre, Sophia, Georgetown on July 3, 2013.

The Prime Minister advised the graduands to keep blossoming in their success and cautioned that everything takes time as he underscored the achievements of the students under the programme in past CSEC examinations.

“I am informed that in 2012, there are 362 total students under the programme (Regional=165, National=197,) which is an 8% increase from the 2011 total number of scholars. Out of this total, 324 are in Secondary and 38 are attending Technical Institutions,” said the Prime Minister.  According to him, the increase is evidence of the government’s commitment in improving the educational qualifications of Amerindian youngsters.

Moreover, Hon.  Minister Pauline Sukhai expressed satisfaction to the graduates whom she deemed richly endowed with culture and talent, in addition to their academic achievements.  Minister Sukhai also blessed everyone and said ‘’the horizons are limitless, but the scope of our students are restricted as soon as they return to the villages,’’ as she urged the graduates to serve their villages in various fields of work.

Ms. Rosamund Daly, Senior Welfare Officer, gave the highlights of the annual report which underscored, among others,  the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate students who wrote three hundred and fifty (350) subjects and gained 86% passes from (301) subjects with grades 1-3 in 2012. She noted that the first batch of 6 students under the programme came in 1963.

The program was marked by rendition of various songs, dances and poems performed by students who are presently on the scholarship programme.  The Police Steel Orchestra also performed several musical renditions and the students gave their reflections.

The Vote of Thanks was given by Laura Vandenburg of Skeldon Line Path Secondary and Mary Parker of St. Ignatius secondary.  The auspicious occasion was concluded with a song from the Graduates.

Kyle Joseph, one of the scholars and a student of Queen’s College, hosted the ceremony.