The Ministry of Education has stooped to new lows of incompetence. At a time when we desperately need to laud our young achievers and build the intellectual property of the Bahamas, the ministry will not recognise last year's BGCSE scholars and schools this year. A BGCSE Awards ceremony will not be held this year!!

Could it be because ministry schools are always embarrassed by their poor performances, or is it just a lack of organisational ability to actually stage the event (or both)?

Once again, intellectual rigour is deprived of prominence...and its our very own government which is undermining our young achievers.

I am concerned about this situation because a good friend of mine has a son who has worked hard (and done very well) for three years of his BGCSE. Now we have a Ministry denying him recognition in the usual way for his efforts. Of course, he is the cool teen who just shrugs and says 'ereyting cool' but as adults we should be concerned for this lack of recogniton for him and his school.

I do not disagree with your post. However is the student looking for recognition from the government or from the parents. If the government is not willing to acknowledge the acheivemnet of these local scholars then why doesn't the family and freinds do it or the PTA. We spend all kind of money on cookouts for medical and other causes, lets honour our kids, we as proud parents should show our kids we appreciate their hard work not the ministry or the ministers. Invite the news organizations to attend or other sources of media, but when the "gov" comes to the door just say sorry private party.
Support your kids, what you give will be returned

If this is the case, then the lack of a ceremony will be a disgrace.

Just yesterday evening, they hosted a ceremony for students with GPA's of 3.0 and above at Government House. Why couldn't they have postphoned it or combined it with the BGCSE achievers? I agree that showing the kids love and affection starts from home, but it's obvious that they have money for what they want to have money for.

On these issues I feel that it is really up to the school and parents to recognize the students that have achieved.
Even the ceremony of reaching a 3.0 GPA is not one that would have to be up to the government to do. It seems that the government is relied on to carry out all events when the individual person needs to take action in these matters. If you sit around waiting on government to do things, you may grow old and grey sooner than you wish.
After all, supporting and pride starts at home and each generation to come will need family continued support along with the schools help. Bottom line, a government is as strong as it's people. go for it! you all can do it!

The facts are (im told) that the ministry has always had a BGCSE Awards ceremony and intended to have one this year too but it was postponed on several occasions and now cancelled.

It is not an issue about parents supporting their children. Of course the parents are applauding and praising..its the Ministry's apparent inability to organise something they have done every year to date. It is not a change in ministry policy to withdraw the ceremony....just that for several reasons they are incapable of organising one for this year.

This is a disgrace! Please don't paint the issue as anything other than Ministry of Education incompetence. The parent support thing is a total red herring!

My Apologies to anyone that took my post as one of disrespect for it sure was not intended to be or sound that way.

My main point is that government officials, no matter their capacities, a lot of times do not live up to our expectations or do as they have in the past in any consistencies. It is a shame that this important occassion has been pulled out and it would be nice to know for what reasons that it has.
I am just stating, Don't count on them as much and be fully prepared to do what you can at your own level!
Empower yourselves when they seem to leave you out in the cold! If they gave no warnings of their intentions then they owe an explanation as to what is so much more than supporting and recognising the youth of today that need encouragement for tomorrow and the future of Bahamas.
All that said, from my heart, I did not intend to sound as if I don't feel that it was wrong but at the same time, have you been able to depend you them fully in the past???
That is why I say, don't wait on them to do a thing and go for it yourselves. Too many people do sit back and talk about it things that are wrong with this or that but go ahead and make it happen for yourselves!

Why should the government have anything to do with schoolastic awards, when i was growing up, that was left up to the schools themselves.

Even if the government shouldn't have anything to do with scholastic awards, at least come clean about it and not pretend that something is going to happen and then decide not to do anything.

There are many things that occur in progress. Just because they were done or not done in the past does not mean it was right. Schools do praise their students and the governemnt is quick to provide plenty of assistance and publicity to our school sports stars. Academic excellence in our highest secondary qualification surely deserves some sort of prominence as it is the pinnacle of our education system after the millions of taxpayers dollars are pumped into it.

The fact is that the Ministry of Education could not provide a recogntion cermony for our BGCSE achievers because they were incompetent in organising it.

It is all about recognising our academic achievers and affirming the schools who are successful in order for them and other schools to maintain the momentum and continue to achieve high standards in education.

For all these reasons, Rory, I think you are off the mark with your observation and in danger of subscribing to the unacceptable attitude that just because something happened in the past, it should continue into the future.

Even if the government shouldn't have anything to do with scholastic awards, at least come clean about it and not pretend that something is going to happen and then decide not to do anything.

There are many things that occur in progress. Just because they were done or not done in the past does not mean it was right. Schools do praise their students and the governemnt is quick to provide plenty of assistance and publicity to our school sports stars. Academic excellence in our highest secondary qualification surely deserves some sort of prominence as it is the pinnacle of our education system after the millions of taxpayers dollars are pumped into it.

The fact is that the Ministry of Education could not provide a recogntion cermony for our BGCSE achievers because they were incompetent in organising it.

It is all about recognising our academic achievers and affirming the schools who are successful in order for them and other schools to maintain the momentum and continue to achieve high standards in education.

For all these reasons, Rory, I think you are off the mark with your observation and in danger of subscribing to the unacceptable attitude that just because something happened in the past, it should continue into the future.

Id rather see the government do more important things like try and run this country properly, clean up the country, fight drugs and crime, fight traffic violators, all this is more important over whether they will hold a cermony for BGCSE awards, leave that to the schools.

However if they say they are going to do something they need to do it or say otherwise.

For a note, I went to school in england, we had GCes back then, in the UK you dont graduate like here and its not a big thing, you move on with life. I completed high school at 15, and no did not drop out. But I was happier to leave and move on, and definatelly was not worried about whether I had a ceremony or not.

Also, dont get me wrong, knowledge and scholastic achievements are great, and I look on them higher than sports as alot do here, actually I could care less how well someone does running around a track a few times, or throwing a ball. Yes its nice to have others know that you have done well, feels good, but even better whan they find out that you are the next Bill gates! :-)

That is the way I grew up too! Each school district is responsible for all ceremonies, banquets, graduations, fund raisers, etc.
I believe that funding should be more available to the schools for educational materials and computer, and what the school districts deem necessary to educate.
That is what the government needs to do for all the schools!!! More focus on bring the level of education up to par with other nations and empower the people more!!!

The Ministry of Education has stooped to new lows of incompetence. At a time when we desperately need to laud our young achievers and build the intellectual property of the Bahamas, the ministry will not recognise last year's BGCSE scholars and schools this year. A BGCSE Awards ceremony will not be held this year!!

Could it be because ministry schools are always embarrassed by their poor performances, or is it just a lack of organisational ability to actually stage the event (or both)?

Once again, intellectual rigour is deprived of prominence...and its our very own government which is undermining our young achievers.


here here...well said!