For Radio and TV Broadcast - June 19, 2012
Good-day, I am Myron V. Walwyn, Minister for Education and Culture in the Virgin Islands. I am very pleased to offer congratulatory remarks to our secondary school students that were successful in this year’s school leaving exams.
Sitting these exams were students from both our public and private schools; Elmore Stoutt High, Bregado Flax Educational Centre, Seventh Day Adventist Secondary, St. Georges Secondary and the Claudia Creque Learning Centre. A total of 273 students across the territory sat the exams this year; of those students 261 students were successful.
Elmore Stoutt High School had 206 students sitting the exams,
• 74 passes with grade 1 certificates,
• 28 passes with grade 2 certificates,
• 96 passes with grade 3 certificates, and
• 8 unsuccessful exam students
At the Bregado Flax Educational Centre on Virgin Gorda 29 students sat the exams with,
• 24 passes with grade 1 certificates,
• 3 passes with grade 2 certificates, and
• 2 unsuccessful exam students
At the Claudia Creque Learning Centre on Anegada, I am pleased to report all four students sitting the exams were successful and with all receive grade one certificates.
At our private schools, the Seventh Day Adventist High School had 19 students sitting the exams;
• 17 passes with grade 1 certificates,
• 1 pass with a grade 2 certificate and
• 1 unsuccessful student
At the St. Georges Secondary School 16 students sat the exams;
• 8 passes with grade 1 certificates,
• 5 passes with grade 2 certificates,
• 2 passes with grade 3 certificates and
• 1 unsuccessful student.
Throughout the Territory there were a total of 74 students that qualified to take supplementary exams. Of those students 67 were successful. Five students did not qualify to take any supplemental exams.
As we seek to create a culture of excellence within our education system, I look forward to the implementation of a territorial examination board, added academic support for our students and improved training for our teachers to aid not just in the number of students that pass these exams, but the competencies of our students and their desire to achieve with excellence.
I would like to congratulate this year’s top two students, the top student in the territory was Claudius Maynard of Elmore Stoutt High School. He was followed by Nema Henry of the Seventh Day Adventist High School, both respectively earning the two highest grade point averages within our secondary schools.
Commendations should also be given to five young men in our public school system. Though boys were in the minority of Elmore Stoutt High School and the Bregado Flax Educational Centre's graduating class, I was pleased to see that these young men attained a spot on the Territory’s top 10 students list; Kladius Maynard, Jason Williams Jr., J’Verne Findlay, Devern Robin, and Ricky Singh.
To our secondary school class of 2012, in a few short weeks you will officially turn your tassels and usher in your young adult lives. I encourage you to responsibly enjoy all of your celebrations with family members and friends. I look forward to participating in many of your graduation exercises and having the opportunity to personally congratulate you on your success thus far.
I urge as many of you as possible to consider moving on to higher education through our H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. There you will have the opportunity to refine your career objectives and explore classes to strengthen your learning capacity in various subjects.
To our students that will be seeking employment immediately, I urge you to put your best foot forward when exploring work opportunities. Studies have shown that the quicker a young person is employed, the experience gained while on the job, will go a long way in helping you retain employment for long periods as well as give you the necessary experience for advancement on the job and even better employment opportunities. So getting a job, keeping that job, and becoming a valuable assist to your orgaisation will go a long way as you chart your path for career advancement.
Our Government is steadily working to expand our local economy and provide job opportunities for our citizens and residents. As we do this, opportunities through higher education and on the job training will prepare you to capitlaise on these prospects and advance your personal and professional aspirations.
To our students that were unsuccessful in this year’s exams, our education system still have opportunities for you. I strongly encourage you to utilize the opportunity to enroll in our alternative secondary education program.
This will provide you the necessary certification for employment as well as increasing your chances of entering into tertiary education. We need you to strengthen your academic understanding so that you too can add to the development of the Virgin Islands. This exam is not indicative of your total ability and what you can contribute to our community. As our Territory grows we will need each and every one of our students to play a vital roll, utilizing the best of their abilities.
Later this summer, through the Department of Youth Affairs, we will be re-launching the Youth Unemployment Register with improved training and the use of an online job portal to help you our graduates find opportunities in the work world. Our government is dedicated to helping our students find opportunities for advancement, right here at home in the Virgin Islands.
I also would like to take this time to thank our very hard working support staff in our education system, our administrators, teachers and school staff that make it possible for our students to learn on a daily basis. This accomplishment for our students, should also be considered your accomplishment. Without your work, our students and our community, would not have this opportunity to celebrate this significant achievement in their lives.
In our school system, through strong leadership by our principals, our education system is able to produce some of our finest students that will go on to do many great things in our Territory and even throughout the world.
Finally I would like to congratulate the parents and family members of our graduates. As a parent, I understand your desire to improve the circumstances of your child by your persistence and constant supervision of their academic progress.
To the graduating class of 2012, know that your learning should never end once you cross that graduation stage.
Life has many more lessons for you to study and I urge you to embrace those necessary experiences that will aid in your overall development.
Cultivate a love for learning and find opportunities to understand new ideas, in a college classroom, on the job, or through your interactions with other members of our community. Your learning and aspirations for excellence should never end.
Once more, congratulations to all of our secondary school graduates in the class of 2012.
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