North, South share honours

An eleven-year old Brothers Presbyterian School girl, Jade Pariag and Newtown Boys RC student, Jesse Benjamin, tied for first place in the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exams, results of which were released yesterday.

Pariag received full marks in Creative Writing, a perfect 100 percent mark in Mathematics and ninety-six percent in Language Arts. Her overall mark was 99 percent. She passed for Naparima Girls’. Benjamin, who passed for St Mary’s College, got 20 out of 20 for Creative Writing, 100 percent in Mathematics, and in Language Arts, 96 out of 100. After being presented with his certificate by Education Minister Hazel Manning, Benjamin was just too overwhelmed to talk. All he could say about his feelings of achievement was “I really don’t know. I can’t explain it. It is the best I’ve ever felt in my life, and relieved.” Then when asked what advice he had for other SEA students he said: “Just believe in yourselves and everything will come to term.”

At the Garth Road, Williamsville primary school yesterday, the entire student body, as well as teaching staff, were in an uproar, over Pariag’s historic achievement. They hugged and kissed her, cheered and clapped.

Benjamin’s parents expressed their joy at their son’s achievement. His father stated, “I am very excited and elated and overwhelmed, the feeling inside is hard to describe but I am more happy for Jesse, he worked hard and deserves it.”

Pariag, a self-confident young girl, was surrounded by classmates who danced in the assembly ground after the results were announced by principal Chandra Umraw.

“Right now I am extremely elated with what has happened. I still can’t believe it,” Umraw said. She said that while Pariag was expected to pass for her first choice — Naparima Girls’ High School —never did she anticipate she would place first in the country.

Pariag, who lives at Sisters Road, Williamsville, said that she has dreams of becoming a doctor, and the secret of her success was a steady routine, which included extra lessons, homework and revision exercises for the past two years.

“After school, I had extra lessons, then between 5 pm and 7.30 pm, I completed whatever homework I had from school and by 9 pm, I was in bed. That was the routine for the past two years, including weekends and public holidays,” a happy Pariag told Newsday.

Pariag, whose hobbies include music and swimming, said she was never a “television bug” and instead credits her success to her parents — Keith Joseph and Joanette Pariag.

Mom Joanette, who took time off from her job at Mittal Steel, to be at her daughter’s side at the school yesterday, confessed she almost fainted when the school’s principal broke the news. “Words cannot express how I am feeling now. Jade’s success is because of hard work and prayers,” her mother said.

Joanette, whose mobile telephone was constantly ringing with excited relatives calling to extend congratulations, also complimented both Principal Umraw and Jade’s standard IV teacher — Sharma Miller — for their hard work and dedication to their students.

Joanette said, “I think this is one of the best things to happen to this school because everyone expects that the best results only happen in the town area. But when a little country school can produce this kind of results then it is the teachers and school who are the real winners,” she said.

Principal, Umraw described Pariag’s success as a very proud moment in the school’s history. Twenty-six students sat the exam.

Benjamin’s parents said they tried to help their son to study to put in extra hours and do extra work but he also had to do his chores. His proud father added, “He was always intelligent from early on, he showed that education wise he was always on top of his work. The very first year he went to school he came first in test. He did nothing extra and carried on with his extra-curricular activities, such as playing pan for the school and basketball. We just made sure he kept his focus on education.”

Benjamin’s mother was overwhelmed. “I was anxious but really didn’t think about Jesse being the top student. But throughout his entire life he has been a hard- working and diligent child, who never slacked off with work. He always liked to do his school work and always did his best. I am very, very happy for him and very, very proud of him.”