Students, use President as model for achieving

THE EDITOR: In congratulating President Christine Kangaloo on her award of India’s highest award to non-nationals, the Patriotic Organisation of Trinbago reminds the nation of her remarks at her alma mater, St Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando, some time ago. Specifically, she honestly described herself as an “extremely ordinary student.”

At secondary school level she advised of not being anything of a heroine, almost a bare pass. That should be examined in terms of, inter-alia, her post-school achievements, but more so as something of hope, evoking aspiration of similar students of today. Too often we think of success as achievement at that age group as the standard we accept.

Teaching that there is life beyond to be lived, pursued, achieved, inspired and excelled, we choose instead to write off students.

In 1972, as guest speaker of the Port of Spain Teacher College graduation, noted educator, the late Dr George Sammy, questioned if we should seek to judge pupils at age 12, based on the then Common Entrance examination, to the extent of describing and labelling them as failures.

The lesson from this achievement of our President, given purely on the volition of India, is that her status of “Her Excellency” remains achievable. Aspire and you can achieve. To all students, past and present, we have a model of such an individual whom we can see as the finest example.

We urge schools to use this award as motivation to development. The organisation sees our country benefiting from this. Let us use the positives we have, like Joshua Regrello and our recent scholarship winners, to advantage as we forge ahead to build a nation.

LENNOX SIRJUESINGH

co-ordinator,

JUNIOR HOWELL

director,

GLORIA SARGEANT

secretary

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