GSAT Students Receive Bursaries from JTA Credit Union

Students, who excelled in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), have been awarded bursaries valued at $1.75 million by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Co-operative Credit Union.

The cheques were presented to 70 children of credit union members from across the island, during an awards function on July 27 at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

Five students were selected from each parish, who received amounts ranging from $15, 000 to $50,000.

General Manager of the JTA Co-operative Credit Union, Robert Ramsay, said this is the eighth year since the company has been issuing bursaries to assist students with back-to-school preparations.

He commended the recipients and urged them to continue to excel.

JTA Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Charmaine Gooden-Montieth, who brought greetings, also encouraged the students to make the best use of their high school years.

“Always make excellence what you repeatedly do. Be proactive by preparing for your classes when you go to high school…you are going to be held accountable for everything you do. You have to make sure that you rise to the challenge and I am sure that you will,” she encouraged.

Educator, Elaine Foster-Allen, who was the guest speaker at the function, commended the JTA credit union for its contribution to the development of education in Jamaica.

She encouraged the students to continue to demonstrate the characteristics of good work ethic, honesty, integrity and responsibility for self that has so far enabled them to be successful in their educational pursuits.

“Remember that you are getting the bursaries out of a cooperative society that values these principles. You, who are being awarded these bursaries, have a productive purpose. Your purpose is to go to school, go to university and produce the best results you can; not just academic results but personal quality results,” she said.

The function included a special presentation of $1.5 million under the credit union’s new initiative ‘Better Schools…Better Jamaica.’

The programme invites schools from across the island to submit financing proposals for projects aimed at improving educational delivery.

The winning submission was made by Old Harbour Primary in St. Catherine, which received $1 million towards the construction of a reading resource laboratory, while second place went to Glengoffe High also in St. Catherine, which got $500,000 to renovate an existing resource lab.