The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National Independence Committee, is set to stage the National Schools’ Independence Rally on Thursday, 23rd October 2025, beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Victoria Park.
This year’s rally is themed “Cheers to 46: Honouring Our Scholars: Celebrating Our Nation”, serving as a celebration marking the 46th anniversary of Independence while recognizing academic excellence across the nation. The event will showcase homegrown talent from primary and secondary schools, as well as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC).
A highlight of the rally will be the formal recognition of eighty-two (82) SVGCC graduates who have achieved exceptional academic results in the 2025 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) and Associate Degree programmes. Among these achievers, nineteen (19) students will be awarded National Scholarships, each covering the cost of five years of study at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Additionally, eighteen (18) Exhibition Scholarships will be awarded, each covering three years at the UWI, and forty-three (43) bursaries, valued at $25,000 EC dollars per year for three years. Two (2) Special Awards will acknowledge outstanding academic accomplishments by students over the age of 21.
This year’s most outstanding National Scholar, Jerrel Insanali, will receive the Prime Minister’s Gold Medal, along with a $20,000 cash prize, in addition to the five-year scholarship. Christian Gieowarsingh and Gianna Stapleton, who tied for second place, will each be awarded $10,000.
Remarks will be delivered by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Myccle Burke, and Minister of Education, Hon. Curtis King. The feature address will be delivered by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
The National Schools’ Independence Rally promises to unite students from across Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in a celebration of academic excellence and national pride.
The Ministry of Education invites the public to join the event and celebrate the achievements of our nation’s students.
SOURCE: Ministry of Education and National Reconciliation