KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – There has been a 4.2 per cent increase in the number of Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) students who were successful in Mathematics this year, when compared to last year.

Assessment Officer in Mathematics, Ministry of Education, Stacy Witter-Bailey, made the announcement during the TANG GSAT Scholarship Awards Luncheon, held today at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.

“Several initiatives have been implemented by the ministry throughout our schools in an effort to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics,” she pointed out.

Now in its sixth year, the Ministry of Education-endorsed TANG GSAT scholarship programme awards the top performing student for Mathematics at the GSAT level from each of the island’s three counties.

The scholarships, valued at $50,000 each, are to go toward school-related expenses.

The three scholarship recipients achieved an impressive 100 per cent in Mathematics in the recent GSAT. They are: Tivonia Daley of St Aloysius Primary, who passed for Immaculate Conception High, for the county of Surrey; Kayandra Gooden-Smith of Catherine Hall Primary, for the county of Middlesex, who passed for Montego Bay High; and Arecia Burgess, representing the county of Cornwall, will be moving on from Marley Mount Primary to attend Glenmuir High.

Guest speaker at the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of the Child Development Agency (CDA), Rosalee Gage-Grey, congratulated the young scholarship recipients for their achievement and encouraged them to continue to pursue academic excellence in the next stage of their education.

She also praised the teachers and parents for their exemplary work with the children, which has resulted in their outstanding performance in the recent exams.

“Teaching is one of the most important jobs in our society due to the impact that a good teacher can have on the future of a child. The quality of the scholars here today is a testament to the fact that you have done a great job caring for our children,” she said.

Meanwhile, Brand Manager for TANG, Shellian Thompson, told JIS News the scholarship programme has been yielding positive results.

“The programme was conceived out of a desire to salute and celebrate our children that are performing well in mathematics,” she said.