After a decade of no student winning the Tom Adams Prize, Chloe Harvey-Read is now the latest recipient of that award.
Education Minister, Ronald Jones, presented the cheque today to her parents, Charles and Isabelle Harvey-Read, at the Elsie Payne Complex, Constitution Road, St. Michael, and expressed pleasure at her gaining ???some additional money because of her prowess in the area of humanities???.
Providing some insight into the prize, named after Barbados??? second Prime Minister, John Michael Geoffrey Manningham ???Tom??? Adams, Mr. Jones said over 30 years ago, the Cabinet of Barbados took a decision to award persons, who excelled in the area of humanities, the Tom Adams Prize of $10,000.
???You know that national scholarships tend to lean heavily towards science, technology and things of that ilk, and with that one thought that it was necessary to give some impetus to those persons who were involved in the humanities??? such areas as history, languages, philosophy, psychology, linguistics and literature???,??? he explained, noting it would provide extra support for those students who write CAPE, as well as the Associate Degree at the Barbados Community College.
While stressing there had been no winner since 2005, Mr. Jones said it was good that it was happening during the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Independence.
???I want on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados to congratulate Chloe for her obvious academic brilliance, first for winning the Barbados Scholarship [being] one of the many, and secondly, topping that up by winning the Tom Adams Award,??? the Education Minister said.
Encouraging others with a desire to win the Award or be a Barbados Scholar, Mr. Jones said students should look at areas that fall within the Tom Adams Award rubric.
Ms. Harvey-Read, who is studying European Law at Bristol in Western England, is a 2015 Barbados Scholarship winner. She met the requirements for the Tom Adams Prize after attaining Grade Ones in French, Spanish and Literatures in English.
Her father, Charles Harvey-Read, in conveying his daughter???s ???gracious thanks??? to the Government of Barbados, remarked: ???It???s very relevant that it has been 10 years, right on the cusp of celebrating 50 years of Independence, and I know Chloe would like to send a very special ???Thank You??? to her teachers with whom she has developed a lifelong bond. They have been very instrumental. And, to her mother who has been also very instrumental??????
Tom Adams was born on September 24, 1931, and died on March 11, 1985. The Central Bank of Barbados was renamed the Tom Adams Financial Centre in his honour, while a section of the ABC (Adams Barrow Cummins) Highway also bears his name.
joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb