The Daily Star awards 1,464 students of O- and A-levels for their outstanding results; 53 obtain world’s highest scores in different subjects
Terming them the future leaders and nation builders, speakers and guests congratulated 1,464 students, who received The Daily Star award yesterday for their excellent results in O- and A-levels between June 2011 and June 2012.
“Your development in education and training is the defining factor in the success of the Bangladesh today and the Bangladesh in future. You are the future,” said special guest of the award giving ceremony Winnington Gibson, the British high commissioner to Dhaka.
He said there was no substitute to education and it is even better if internationally recognised qualifications that are valued abroad can be achieved.
The high commissioner expressed his satisfaction over the way the O- and A-levels examinations are securely administered in Bangladesh by the British Council.
The award ceremony was held in Mirpur Indoor Stadium. As many as 1,006 O-level students were honoured for obtaining at least 6 A’s and 329 A-level students for earning at least 3 A’s in two consecutive sittings.
Besides 80 O-level and 49 A-level graduates were honoured for achieving highest marks in different subjects. Among them, 53 secured the world’s highest scores in different subjects and 76 scored the country’s best in different subjects.
Except for 49 private candidates, rest of the students awarded came from 72 schools in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Narayanganj.
Addressing his fellow students in the ceremony, O-level graduate Ahmed Ibrahim of Maple Leaf International School, who got 12 A Stars with 11 A’s, said education was about awareness and understanding the surrounding rather than bookish knowledge.
Md Wasif Akram Hussain of Mastermind, who earned 7 A Stars with 6 A’s spoke on behalf of the A-level high achievers. Thanking the Almighty, his parents and teachers, he reminded his batchmates that it was time they had taken out their training wheels and stood for themselves.
Chief guest of the occasion, the first Bangladeshi woman to conquer the globe’s highest peak, Nishat Majumder, said: “Each of you have a Mt Everest inside, the summit of which is higher than the peak of the Everest.”
She advised them to listen and nurture the dream that lies like the Everest in the heart and reach out for the peak.
Introducing The Daily Star’s new page for the young “Shout”, its editor and publisher Mahfuz Anam said, “The achievement and reward you are about to receive today is only the beginning of a brilliant life ahead.”
“The future is in your hands,” he said, adding that the awardees should not only build an efficient, successful and prosperous Bangladesh but must build a just and fair nation where the gap between the rich and the poor would lessen.
“As students you must inculcate the values of ethics, harmony, sharing and respect for others,” said Mahfuz Anam.
He urged the parents and families of the awardees to impart these values at homes. He said the parents must teach their children the beautiful values of religion as well as to respect other religions, views, cultures and beliefs.
“The spirit of tolerance will come from schools and homes,” he said.
The editor concluded his speech through an appeal to the awardees that they must remember to serve the country. “Have Bangladesh in your mind, heart and dreams.”
The award ceremony was organised in association with Brac Bank, Monash University Malaysia and Edexcel.
Syed Faridul Islam, head of Risk Management, Brac Bank, praised the students for outperforming the students of English speaking countries, despite the fact that the awardees have grown up in a country where English is a second language.
Amid Hossain Chowdhury, a Monash Graduate in Business and Commerce, also congratulated the awardees and told them about the opportunities of higher studies available in Monash University, Malaysia.
Premila Paulraj Canitius, assistant vice-president of Edexcel (Indian subcontinent), congratulated the awardees saying that they had competed against 1.5 million students of more than 92 countries in achieving their outstanding results.
Referring to teacher’s training, she said, “Direct connection has been found between the investment we make in training teachers and the results of the students.”
Shamim Ahmad, principal of Amity British Academy, from where another top achiever Muhammad Zareef Kamal earned 12 A Stars in O-level, said, “Our teachers have tried to give their best and supported Zareef whenever he needed help.”
Ali Mohiuddin Al-Shams, executive administrator of Maple Leaf International School that secured the highest number of A Grades this year, said “It is the cooperation among teachers, parents and institution that brings out the potential of a student.”
Students of BAFSHEM, Playpen, Maple Leaf International School, Scholastica, and Mount Royal Academy performed songs and dances at the ceremony.
Source: The Daily Star
