“You can’t overwork, you have to take some time for yourself.” This was the statement of the top SEA student in Trinidad, Kirsten Ramsaran of the Rousillac Presbyterian School. The 12-year-old is the first student from that school to top the SEA examinations.

Speaking to the media following the SEA recognition ceremony on Thursday, Ramsaran, who passed for Naparima Girls’ College, said,

“Sometimes I would study and sometimes I would take breaks.

"I spent time with my cousin because we live close to each other, so that helped me relieve my stress from school and doing all the practice test for work. I prefer online school but going to physical school would help me make new friends as I’ve been separated from my friends for two years now.”

Her mother Anushka Goomansingh said it was difficult adjusting to online schooling, as she also had to work from home.

“She managed well, she really had to look after herself while her father and I were working, and she was great. A lot of her extracurricular activities had to stop.

"She was a very balanced child but, when it all went online, it was a lot of computer work but she did it and did well and we’re very happy for her. We didn’t foresee this happening.”

Goomansingh said both the family and the school believed in balance between extracurricular activities and schoolwork.

[caption id="attachment_912209" align="alignnone" width="957"] Overall second place SEA student Vineetha Kattamanchi from Maria Regina Grade School, left, with third place overall SEA student Isharra Sookdeo from Clarke Rochard Government. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]

“Every teacher from first year up believes in balance, that children should not have to go home and do hours of homework. They have extracurricular activities and clubs and she took part in karate, gymnastics, swimming, piano, ballet, you name it. We always try to let her explore her interests, we never kept her back, it wasn’t all schoolwork, she plays online, she loves all different sorts of activities and we’ve always encouraged that. We just want to encourage other parents to do the same and give your child a balance, they’re only a child once, and we wish that same sort of thing for them.”

Acting Principal Robert Seerattan said he was overwhelmed by the result, even though Ramsaran had always been a good performer.

“We try to balance and allow children the extra flexibility with the extracurricular activities. We try to break up the monotony of the academics and in doing so, help them to focus better on the same academics. She is a product of the system, she did a lot of different things, it is one thing that help you excel better in academics.”

Second place student Vineetha Kattamanchi, who will be moving from the Maria Regina Grade School to St Joseph’s Convent, said preparing for the examination online was hard work.

“I practiced at home instead of at school so to come in a classroom for the first time on SEA day and do the exam was kind of stressful. The WiFi connections are always a problem, there’s not a 1