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| Premier and Minister of Education on Nevis Hon Vance Amory. |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (November 24, 2005) -- Premier of Nevis and Minister of Education Hon Vance Amory issued a call to the 2005 graduating class of Gingerland Secondary School (GSS) to be mindful that they, and others to come, are the future of Nevis and that the island's future success weighed heavily on the proper planning and execution of their goals.
Mr Amory a former acting Headmaster and teacher of the school, made the call to the 86 graduands while delivering the keynote address at the Graduation and Prize giving ceremony at the GSS Auditorium on Wednesday November 23, 2005, under the theme "Today's Planning Facilitates Tomorrow's Success."
"You are the future we have been planning for so long you are the future of this country and because you are the future of this country, the country will either sink or swim will either succeed or fail because of you and I want you to take that seriously. I don't want you to take it lightly because too many times we think that we can exist and live and survive from the past from our parents," he advised the graduates.
Mr Amory reminded the students that they would be called upon to operate within even wider boundaries than their predecessors because of the existing concept of the global village.
"We recognise that our boundaries are not just limited to Nevis. As a matter of fact boundaries which you our graduating students will be called upon to operate within, are in fact wider than the boundaries within which I and persons of my years were called to operate within and that is because there has been the concept of the global village which brings so many things closer to all of you," he said.
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| A section of the graduating class of 2005 |
Mr Amory told the gathering that people often speak of government doing nothing for young people but believes that the greatest gift that the government, parents and teachers could give to students is an education and "once you have that, once you have been taught effectively, you are then the ones who would have to take the initiative to choose, look for the opportunities and wherever possible and if not nothing exists, I will tell you this, seek to create your own niche and your own area of operation."
He also took the opportunity to commend the school for an ongoing initiative designed by its guidance counsellors Mr Basil Patterson and Mrs Lineth Williams through which students acquire job skills.
Acting Principal Mr Keith Glasgow in his report for the academic year September 2004-2005, described the period as a successful one citing that GSS continued to show resilience and determination for success and excellence despite the odds and continued to live out its motto "Through Difficulties to the Stars".
According to Mr Glasgow, in 24 subject areas, 83 students entered for the general and/or technical proficiencies in the Caribbean Examination Counsel (CXC) General and Technical Proficiencies. >From a total of 352 sitting entries there were 258 passes, a percentage of 73.2 percent which represented a slight decrease compared to the 75.8 percent last year.
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| Valedictorian Mr Kacey Jeffers holds the symbolic torch to mark the end of the graduands tenure at the Gingerland Secondary School. |
He said the student who achieved the best results for the school at the CXC CSEC level was Mr Kacey Jeffers who obtained nine subjects with six distinctions and three grade twos. He also received a subject profile with 17 As. Ms. Rhosyll Jeffers was first runner-up obtaining nine subjects with six distinctions and three grade twos. She received a profile with 12 As. The second runner-up was Ms Zadia Browne who obtained eight subjects with six distinctions, two grade twos and a subject profile with 14 As.
An outstanding performance also came from Ms Helen Eddo who obtained eight subjects with six distinctions, one grade two, one grade three and a subject profile with 15 As. Ms Kerdis Clarke, Rushella Isles, Icis Morton and Mr Jason Francis also passed eight subjects.
However, Ms Bethia Pogson attained the most subject passes. She obtained 10 subjects with one distinction and a subject profile with 7 As adding that she joined an elite club of three GSS students who have attained the feat of sitting and passing 10 subjects.
At the CXC CSEC Basic Proficiency Level, Mr Glasgow said only English A and Mathematics were entered. There were eight passes out of 17 sitting entries while Mathematics returned no passes out of 16 entries.
In the area of the National Certificate of Education Competencies (NCEC), of the 41 students of 4A1 and 4A3 who were assessed, Ms Melissa Wattley was ranked number one. She obtained a total of 43 competencies with 12 As. The runner- up was Mr. Pedro Hendrickson who obtained 41 competencies with 16 As. Good results were also obtained by Mr McKenzie Elliott in 31 competencies with 13 As and Mr Adler Joseph in 30 competencies with 11 As.
The acting Principal also complemented students of 4A2 who wrote Integrated Science CXC General Proficiency and all succeeded. He praised their tutor Miss Juliette Claxton for her pioneering efforts and teaching excellence.
Meantime Valedictorian Mr Kacey Jeffers during the valedictory speech recounted events which marked the graduating class tenure at the GSS and dotted his presentation with gratitude to their teachers. He also thanked his mother godfather, grandmother, family, friends and the St. Kitts Nevis Social security for their unwavering support.
Mr Jeffers urged his fellow graduates to make the best of life, since life is a promise they should fulfil. He said: "You are truly the best of the best and with you I have had the best five years of my life."
Also present at the event were His Honour Mr Eustace John, President of the Nevis Island Assembly Mrs. Marjorie Morton, Junior Minister of Education Hon Livingston Herbert and ailing GSS Principal Mr Conrad Liburd.
