Annai children celebrate success at NGSA

Online lessons and the Guyana Learning Channel played a significant role in helping the two top-performing students from Annai Primary School in Region Nine excel at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), earning places at the Annai Secondary School.

Kelvin Williams secured first place with 470.32 marks, while, Javier Augustine placed second with 467.55 marks. During interviews with the News Room both students and their parents credited additional learning support outside the classroom for their success.

Kelvin told the News Room that the Guyana Learning Channel was an important resource in preparing for the NGSA examinations.

He admitted he had hoped to score even higher but was sometimes distracted by playing. Kelvin now aspires to become a teacher so he can help children learn and perform well enough to gain entry into good secondary schools.

His mother, Anica Augustine, described the family’s journey as challenging.

She explained that Kelvin attended Craig Primary School on the East Bank of Demerara before transferring to Annai Primary School in October of 2025. Anica explained that she had to return to Region Nine to care for her sick mother.

At the time, she was the sole provider for the family and balancing work and her son’s education was difficult.

“I would feel tired, but I knew he had NGSA to write, so an hour before we went to bed I would run through some past papers with him,” she said.

Despite the transition of schools and the challenges they faced, Anica said she is proud of her son’s achievement and the hard work that led to his outstanding performance.

Meanwhile, Javier’s mother, Celina Augustine, said online mathematics classes were instrumental in improving her son’s performance in the subject.

She explained that Javier initially struggled with mathematics, regular online lessons helped build his understanding.

“He was very poor at first but the online study for mathematics really helped him out,” Celina told the News Room.

According to Celina, Javier attended online classes from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., where he completed past examination papers, while also participating in after-school lessons.

She said she carefully balanced his study schedule, allowing him time to play in the afternoons before working with him in the evenings on revision and past papers.

While speaking with the News Room Javier also credited the support he received through online lessons, his class teacher and his mother.

“I feel happy,” he said about his results, although he was hoping to attend President’s College on the coastland.

“I had online lessons, class teacher lessons and my mother. They really helped me,” the aspiring chef and bus driver said. His dream though is to own a restaurant because he enjoys cooking.