The Tribune

Isaac Choute of CI Gibson Senior High School scooped first prize as overall winner at last week’s awards ceremony for the third annual national essay competition organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with The Nassau Institute. Runner-up was Angel Knowles of Temple Christian Senior High School and Megan Thompson of Kingsway Academy came third.

At the presentation, which took place on Friday at C C Sweeting Senior High School, each received an inscribed trophy and shared a cash prize of $1,000 together with a trophy for producing the best essay from their individual schools, and the overall winner will attend a three-day economics seminar in Atlanta, Georgia in the summer under the auspices of the Foundation for Economic Education.

A total of 76 students, including one from the Family Islands -- Central Eleuthera All Age School - took part in the competition which was held at Anatol Rodgers Senior High School in February. Those who wrote the best essay for each school were given a trophy and all entrants and their teachers received an individual certificate of participation. The teachers were also presented with plaques to mark their role in coaching the students.

Proposed originally, and partly funded, by The Nassau Institute think tank, with the Templeton Religion Trust as the main sponsor, this third annual competition was a joint venture with the Ministry of Education which was responsible for the detailed arrangements. It was open to pupils in both private and public high schools enrolled in Business Studies programmes. Participants were required to write an essay in their own words under examination conditions on a subject based on the book “Economics in One Lesson” by the renowned American economist Henry Hazlitt.

Addressing the gathering during the presentation of prizes, former British High Commissioner Peter Young and praised the students for the high standard of their work. He also paid tribute to those concerned in the Ministry of Education for arranging another successful essay competition.