The top six passes in the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination came from three boys and three girls.
This was announced by Education Minister Anthony Garcia as he presented the top performer in the 2017 exams, Lexi Balchan, at the Point Fortin ASJA Primary School yesterday.
Gandhi Memorial’s Jordana Mahabir placed second, San Fernando TML Rayshard Hosein third and Jaden Alexander, of St Dominic’s RC, Penal, placed fourth.
“All students who wrote the exam have done well, you have been prepared by your teachers and I am sure about this because I was a teacher. At my first teaching appointment, I was placed in a Standard Five class and so I know the hard work and the dedication on the part of the teachers,” Garcia said.
“I want to congratulate the teachers for the hard work and the commitment to duty that you have displayed.”
Garcia said although he did not have the complete analysis on this year’s examination results, the overall performance rate had risen.
“As all of you know, this year in the examinations we had three components, English Language, Creative Writing and Mathematics. Last year we had the Continuous Assessment Components, but that was disbanded and we just had the written exams in these three subject areas. Overall, the students did very well and the students of this school also did very well.”
Also addressing students at the school, MP Edmund Dillon said Balchan’s performance in the exam will put Point Fortin on the map once more.
“We may have the next prime minister or president coming out of Point Fortin,” Dillon said.
T&T Unified teachers’ Association president Lynsley Doodhai urged parents to remember that this is just the start of their children’s academic careers and encouraged them to keep trying with their children.
“Your parental duties become more as the children enter their adolescent lives, your job will be more difficult but you have to keep on trying with your children,” Doodhai said.
“Keep on trying with your children and make time to speak to them every day.”
Mayor Andon Mason noted that despite the examinations falling within Point Fortin’s Borough Week celebrations, the students in the district had succeeded.
“I had some parents calling me frantic the day of the examination because there was some fete going on the same day,” Mason recalled.
“But I knew that despite everything, you (students) would persevere. And today, you have placed Point Fortin in the forefront and I am certain the positive changes that have to happen in this country will start here in Point Fortin.”
