FOR THE FIRST TIME, a visually-impaired girl has won first place at the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) Primary School Art Competition.

Lavonne Williams, 8, a student of the Irving Wilson School, took top spot in the six to eight age group.

Second and third places in the six to eight age group went to Maliaka Rock and Linde Morris respectively, both of the Roland Edwards Primary School.

The top three places in the nine-to-eleven category went to Roland Edwards Primary students Josiah Anderson, Kiela Worrell and Mical Stuart.

NCSA communications consultant Kim Morris however complained about a decline of interest in the competition.

"It is with a heavy heart I declare only nine schools took part with 108 students . . . . They were three independent schools entered, 37 entrants in the six-to-eight category and 68 in the nine-to-eleven category," she said. She added that this represented a drastic drop from when the competition started four years ago with 350 entrants.

Feature speaker at the prize giving ceremony was Minister of Education Ronald Jones, who urged parents to set a good example for their children and treat them well.

"I am sometimes surprised at the harshness in the language used towards children. You cannot use this vicious verbal abuse, then expect children to respond when you project this same behaviour as negative.

"We have to take away the cloak of pretence and examine ourselves. Let us as parents and adults continue to give them a foundation – which is important," Jones said.

(CA)