Marina International Senior Secondary School, last Friday held its annual speech and price given ceremony at the school ground held in Bakau Newtown.

At least 82 students graduates from form 5 while 12 graduates from  form 7 respectively. In her address, the Chairperson Board of Governor,  Mrs Sira Wally Njai pointed out   the series of development that took place while she  assumed  leadership as chairperson. Highlighting the school's academic performance, Mrs Njai observed that the performance of the last batch of IGSCE students at the 2008 examination was overwhelming.

According to her, student's performance is regularly monitored throughout the year so as to ensure remarkable success. She also outlined that the school has put some mechanisms to encourage and develop the non- performing students. 'As   chairperson of the board of governors, I am  proud of the overall performance and congratulate the students and their teachers who helped  them reach this standard ,  Njai said.

While admonishing the outgoing students  that they must  be ready to meet  challenges  in life. She added that  years in Marina of their career has been a hardworking one, they should now show the world that money invested in them has  not  been squandered. 'The world is full of challenges and competition, to survive, you need to cooperate and take the challenges in life, but not revenge', Njai added.

Advocating for  the commercialisation of education, Njai asserted that one couldn't survive in this commercial world without education. 'The purpose of education is to replace the empty mind with an open one', she said. On the issue of discipline, she pointed out that without discipline, one's open mindedness will be quite limited.

She commended the teachers and parents for their dedication and hard work and implored on them to continue with the good job. ' You should take a hand, open a mouth and try to teach the heart of every student, they should be motivated  and encouraged positively', she said. For his part, the head teacher of the school  Musa Sanneh said ,the best strategy needed to achieve the smooth take off and stability of any school at the commencement of a new year is to secure the required team of teachers.  Elaborating on the school's success, Sanneh said  the monitoring mechanism includes lesson observation reports, classroom visits and the scrutiny of exercise books even by parents, were all harness to ensure remarkable achievements.  

'We hope that forever that trust in our collective integrity and unanimity of purpose continues to be renewed ,that what any of us could possibly be doing for our children alone is been done here in Marina," Mr Sanneh stressed. Commenting on the expected role of a school, Mr Sanneh said his school is not only dedicated to a high purpose which goes beyond the passing of external examinations or acquisition of skills, but also commits itself to forming successful human beings, imbued with courage, integrity and justice.

He further dilated on the general performance of students in previous examinations and hail parents to keep supporting the school. The guest speaker of the occasion, Mr  EMS  Njie spoke on the importance of discipline. According to him a discipline person is someone who controls with him a firm believe that one day there must be success in life.  He urged students to fight extremely well for their success.  "If you do not know what to do, you would not know where to go," he said.

He implored students to share their problems with parents and advice them to desist from peer pressure influence. Dignitaries from the Nigerian High Commission to The Gambia graced the ceremony. Outstanding students were given prizes and Shola Able- Thomas head boy of the school delivered the vote of thanks.