The National P.S.E. Awards

Young Ashton Tillett from Crooked Tree set the standards high this morning when he was honored as this year’s top scorer for the Primary School Examinations. It was not by any measure an easy task and Tillett had to cross many hurdles to become this year’s number one student. He now moves on to high school with equal determination and focus. For the Minister Patrick Faber, education is everyone’s business. Duane Moody was present this morning at the National P.S.E. Awards ceremony and has this report.

Duane Moody, Reporting

The River Hall of the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza was transformed this morning for the ceremonies held by the Ministry of Education to recognize the top twenty-five performers of the 2014 Primary School Examinations. Parents, teachers and students gathered to witness the young students as they were honored for a job well done.

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

Patrick Faber

“We are excited about the results because we see a different mix coming up this year and it speaks volumes for efforts that of course our ministry has been making but also our schools have been making. We have been saying all along that education is everybody’s business; that schools should take ownership for the issues that arise. The community should participate in helping and I believe that we see more schools doing better as a result of them doing just that—taking ownership as the quality child friendly schools initiative of this ministry suggests…take ownership of the issue and not sit and wait for the ministry or any other entity for that matter to come in and prescribe a one size fits all approach to help in the problems that are happening in schools.”

Top scorer, Ashton Tillett, addressed the gathering with a short but powerful speech.

Ashton Tillett

Ashton Tillett, Top Scorer, P.S.E. 2014

“The amazing accomplishment has strengthened me spiritually, emotionally and physically. Throughout my school years, I have devoted myself to studying which was accompanied by the help of my dedicated teachers, God, my family and other distinguished supporters. I studied hard, listen to my teachers and prayed and set my goal for excellence; but I did not know that I would be the top P.S.E. performer. This is a great accomplishment of which I am proud of. For me, this is just the beginning. I know that there will be new faces, new challenges and new mountains. I pledge that I will always keep on climbing to achieve even higher in the future.”

Minister of Education, Patrick Faber also spoke of the new features to the award ceremony.

Patrick Faber

“We have agreed on carrying with the national award ceremony. As you have seen that portion has been concluded now, but we also thought it important to award students by districts and so we have actually the Belize District Awards that will follow here; tomorrow we have in Cayo. And then we will do an original one for the south and an original one for the north—both happening tomorrow. So that will cover Stann Creek and Toledo in the south and Orange Walk and Corozal in the north.”

Tillett was also given the Michael Nembhard Award. Duane Moody for News Five.