Students Receive Scholarships & Exhibitions

Eight students have been awarded scholarships, while 21 have received exhibitions and one, the Award of Excellence.

This was announced during a ceremony at the Ministry of Educational Transformation. Harrison College had the most awards, with three scholarships and eight exhibitions. The Barbados Community College received four scholarships, five exhibitions, and the Award of Excellence; Queen’s College earned one scholarship and seven exhibitions, while The St. Michael School gained one exhibition.

Minister of Educational Transformation, Chad Blackman, congratulated the students on their outstanding achievements in this year’s Caribbean Examinations Council exams. He described the moment as one of national pride and celebration, noting that the results reflected years of discipline, sacrifice, and diligence.

“Today is really about celebrating your achievements. These are no ordinary successes … the mere fact that you are here … tells a story of hard work, determination, and resilience. You have proven not only to your families and schools, but to the entire country, that you are exceptional,” the Minister said.

Mr. Blackman also reminded the awardees that their journey was only beginning. He urged them not to become complacent, but to see their success as a foundation for greater contributions on the global stage.

“Your competition is not only your peers in Barbados, but students in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe…. Competition means that you have to … constantly renew within yourself your benchmarks of success and ensuring that as you go forward, you will do yourself proud. You live in a world where … you will meet challenges, but the foundation that you’ve had here in Barbados, and certainly over the last two years, has certainly proven to you that you have the ability to dominate and to do very well wherever you go in the world. So, you have a starting point of success that you must now build on and constantly renew.… Never believe that you are not capable of global excellence,” he stressed.

The Minister further encouraged students to view education as more than examination results, highlighting that the Ministry is on a transformative path to position Barbados’ education system among the best in the world within the next seven years. This includes modernising school infrastructure, updating curricula to meet 21st-century demands, and ensuring continuous training for teachers.

He also challenged this year’s scholarship and exhibition winners to see themselves as nation-builders:

“To whom much is given, much is expected….  And you, as the scholarship winners and exhibition winners of the country, must ask yourselves, ‘how am I going to use this certification that I’m about to gain’ when you go on to your respective institutions to ensure that Barbados and the Caribbean, and wherever you go, can now benefit in a significant way that will transform my country.” 

Minister Blackman also commended the parents, teachers, and wider support networks who played vital roles in the students’ success and encouraged those students who will be coming after to be inspired by this year’s cohort. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Educational Transformation, Chad Blackman, and Chief Educational Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, speaking to the awardees during a ceremony at the Ministry of Educational Transformation.