NGSA 2024: Make the best of what you have, & anything is possible – Zephon Sobers

– only child from hinterland in top 1%

Zephon Sobers, the only student from a hinterland school who secured a position among the top 1 per cent of high-flying performers at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), has defied all odds and proven that with hard work and determination, anything is possible.
The lad was born and raised in Mabaruma, which is considered the regional capital of Region One (Barima-Waini). As the middle sibling of three boys, he attended the Mabaruma Primary School, where he has always excelled at his studies.
With the highest obtainable mark at this year’s NGSA being 504.24, the 11-year-old earned 495.48, and was awarded a place at Queen’s College – one of the better-funded public educational institutions in the country.
In fact, it was his goal to earn a spot at the prestigious school, and he was elated that his hard work paid off.

“I feel very proud of myself because I worked hard and tried my best,” the young man told Guyana Times.
He is excited at the opportunities that would become available by attending a school in the capital city, but simultaneously does not want to leave his family behind.
“My home is my happy place, so going to Queen’s College would be nice, but leaving my family is not what I wanted to do, especially being separated from my little brother who is four years old. I can hardly go a day without him,” the lad explained.
His mother Loreen Sobers – a staff nurse midwife and nursing supervisor at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital – admits it would be a tough decision to send her son to Georgetown to attend his dream school.
Nevertheless, she and her husband, an officer enlisted in the Guyana Defence Force’s Coast Guard, are extremely proud of their son’s accomplishment.
“I am more than proud of my son’s accomplishment, because I was there every step of his success journey, despite the challenges I faced myself, especially when it came to always being at work and having less family time. Despite all that, I made my kids my priority,” the woman noted.
Zephon is the first person in his family to have performed exceptionally when it comes to educational endeavours; or, as his mother terms it, the first in the family to get a “top school”.

Challenges
However, his successful journey was not without challenges, as the child had to battle with limited resources.
“My preparation was not a difficult one, except for some internet challenges here and there and not having access to the learning channel; but I made the best of whatever resources and textbooks I had. I attended private lessons every day of the week after school, except on weekends. I never pressured myself or have been pressured by my parents to study, but did so willingly in my own time…,” Zephon explained.
Determined to break barriers, he would ensure he reads any chance he gets.
“I take every opportunity I had to read anything, from my textbooks, bible storybooks, newspaper, and any other books I can put my hands on,” he disclosed.
In addition to reading, Zephon enjoys cycling, playing football, and spending time with his family.
He dreams of one day becoming a pilot, “because I’m very obsessed with airplanes and how they operate!”

Education gap
Educational disparities between the hinterland and coastal regions have long existed, but it is something Government has been working aggressively to address.
“Performance in the hinterland continues to not measure up to the performance on the coast…For a variety of reasons, we have not been able to catch the gap there,” Education Minister Priya Manickchand had told reporters at last year’s NGSA results announcement ceremony.
This year again, she acknowledged that inequality persist, but emphasised that more investments are being made to bridge the gap.
“What are we doing to change that? We’re building out schools right now. We have more than 50 schools going up in hinterland communities,” the Minister revealed.
Once completed, these new schools would help to reduce the distance that learners in remote areas have to travel to access education.
Additionally, she explained that the Government is working to have every teacher in the education system trained, to ensure the level of teaching is of a high standard.
Already, last year, some 1700 teachers graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) – the largest cohort in the history of the country.
And this year, just under 2000 are currently being trained.
Moreover, Manickchand said, efforts are continuously being made to ensure more resources are pumped into the education system, and that parents are better equipped to help their children in their educational journeys.
She referenced initiatives like the school feeding programme, the provision of textbooks, and the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant which currently stands at $45,000 and is expected to increase to $50,000 next year.
Additionally, Government has launched a programme to give each school teacher a cash grant to utilise for their classrooms.
For the hinterland regions, it is stipulated that teachers will receive $5,500 per student per term.
“That is how you get results, and that is what we’ve begun to do in the hinterland,” Manickchand explained.
But until such time that the education gap is diminished, little Zephon is encouraging other young ones to never give up on their dreams, regardless of their circumstances.
“I just want to say your achievements depend on you. So read a lot, go over your school work, and make the best of what you have; and anything is possible,” he assured.