Students Encouraged to Make Good Choices

Community Relations Officer at the Ministry of Education, Charmaine Gooden-Monteith has called on students not to get into the “get rich mentality” where they seek to gain wealth at any cost.
Mrs. Gooden-Monteith, who was addressing a group of high achievers at the Mizpah All Age in Manchester recently, drew references to a number of international track stars who, after winning gold medals have ended up in disgrace.
“The path that you choose will determine your true success in life. The choice is yours to decide whether you have positive values and attitudes, whether you are honest, whether you practice what your parents and teachers taught you, whether you mess around drugs – unfortunately many of us are aware of the right things but whenever we go into a new environment we allow ourselves to be led by the wrong crowd. I am appealing to you to make the right choice in whatever you do, avoid the fast lane or getting what you need at any cost. Look at the mighty athletes in another country, and what dishonesty can lead to,” she stated.
She commended the teachers, noting that they have prepared students who take their lessons seriously and that it has led to the institution celebrating high achievers.
“This gives a positive image of your school as you nurture the students under your care to strive for excellence. The right time to do it is now, when the children are young so that they will value the importance of hard work today, which will reap success tomorrow. They will also learn that hard work brings true joy,” she added.
The Community Relations Officer further emphasised that the success of students is not heavily dependent on which schools they attend. “What really matters is what you do with what you have learnt. It is important for parents to work closely with their children and to recognise the awesome responsibility that they have as parents,” she said.