Eight primary school students won prizes after their essays received top scores for the 2016 Library Week Essay Competition.

Shaundre Smith from the Alexandrina Maduro Primary School won first place; Jhadazia Lennard from Robinson O’Neal Primary School and Shania Martin from Little Rainbow School both tied for second place. All three students were awarded a smartphone from Digicel.

A total of 45 students submitted essays relevant to the theme: ‘Why Libraries Are Important to Me’.

The winning essays for first, second and third place will be printed in the BVI Beacon and Island Sun newspapers. 

Third, fourth and fifth place winners Horace Duncan from Agape Total Life Academy, Shantavia Richards and Caliyah Charles from Willard Wheatley Primary School all received gift vouchers from CCT.

Sixth place winners Kaelyaah Liburd from Bregado Flax Educational Centre and Kizzel Charizze P. Nape from Corner Stone were awarded gift certificates.

Library Week 2016 was observed from April 17 through 23 under the theme, ‘Libraries and Literacy: An Integral Part of Building Communities’.

The Ministry of Education and Culture is committed to creating a “Culture of Excellence”.