It was the class of KG2 (those graduating from nursery to primary school), and Grade 6 who were graduating.The ceremony was held on the theme “Let us rise up and build’.
Ms Samuello Pratt, a teacher at the school, said about 41 pupils were graduating; 23 KG2 pupils will transit to lower basic schools, and 18 grade six pupils will transit to upper basic school.
She said the goal of the management is to ensure that every student of the school acquire the values and life skills essential to transform The Gambia into an education superpower.
“For us here, education is more than imparting knowledge and developing thinking and workings skills,” Ms Pratt said.“It plays an important role in the building of character of people.”
She said the mission of school is to nurture moral values as well as educate the people.
The school teacher said the management is embarking on total quality transformation that can respond to the interest and opinions of pupils, staff and parents.
The guest speaker of the occasion, Miss Fatoumatta Camara, a former student of the school now a third year law student at the University of The Gambia, said education is such a jealous enterprise that does not want to beequated with anything; it demands a great deal of time and dedication from the people involved in it.
“People who take education along with other things or businesses are unlikely to reap the fruits of their labour,” she said.“On that note, I strongly advise you against associating your valuable education with any other thing.”
Ms Camara told the pupils that their graduation is a transition as it marks the beginning of a lengthy academic work with arduous educational tasks.
The alumni of Rev. J.C. Faye said she is certain that each of the graduating young people has a very bright and prosperous future in his/her educational pursuance “since you are opportune to attend Rev. J.C. Memorial Lower Basic School”.
The chairman the school management board, Rev. Canon James Alleh Yaw Odies, said over years, the graduating pupils have come through the school doors to play, paint, draw, build, colour, read, write, discuss and learn.
“Through the power of play and interactive discussion, these pupils have grown socially, emotionally and academically,” he said. “The KG2 pupils are now prepared for lower basic and the grade 6 pupils for upper basic school.”
Rev. James told the graduating young people that the day is a day for thanking those who have been helping them, the pupils.
“On that note, on your behalf, I am pleased to thank publicly your families and friends, your dedicated teachers and all those who contributed towards your journey to this point of your academic pursuit,” he said.
Rev. James said the new board of Rev. J.C. Faye Memorial School in collaboration with all stakeholders will provide “quality education that will meet and even exceed the needs and reasonable expectations of the stakeholders”.