Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
For years, heavy rainfall meant more than cancelled lessons at Debe Hindu SDMS Primary School. Located on a river bank, students were accustomed to muddy floodwaters inside their classroom, snakes and centipedes slithering through the compound, and teachers, parents and villagers rolling up their sleeves to clean before children could return to learning.
It was in that environment that 11-year-old Shazana Mohammed quietly built the determination that would eventually earn her first place nationally in the 2026 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA).
Shazana scored a perfect 100 per cent and a composite score of 253.423 to secure a place at her first-choice school, Naparima Girls’ High School. She is the first student from the school and in her Debe community to achieve this accolade.
Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal yesterday visited the school at the SS Erin Road, to congratulate Shazana, her parents and staff, describing her success as proof that circumstances do not determine a child’s future.
He said Shazana’s achievement reflected a broader lesson.
“In adversity comes triumph. The level of adversity, struggle and sacrifice becomes the impetus to achieving. Children must believe that their geography is not their future.”
For principal Usha Rampersad-Gookool, Shazana’s accomplishment was years in the making.
“Our school strives for excellence, not only academically but also in values, culture and traditions,” she said. “We knew one day we would produce a top national student, and it happened with Shazana.”
She said the school’s philosophy has always been to encourage every child to reach his or her full potential rather than simply compete for rankings.
As Debe Hindu School approaches its 75th anniversary next year, Rampersad-Gookool hopes it will one day receive the infrastructure improvements it needs. But she said the condition of the buildings has never defined the school’s students.
For Shazana’s parents, Radha Balkaran-Mohammed and Shazard Mohammed, the result was almost too good to believe.
“Seeing 100 out of 100 was unbelievable. That is a moment we’ll never forget,” Shazard Mohammed said.
He described his daughter as persistent from her earliest school days.
“If Shazana lose one mark, Shazana crying,” he said with a smile. “From preschool, she always wanted to be first.”
Her mother said the achievement reflected years of steady discipline rather than pressure.
“There were times she got sick, but she still wanted to study because she had a test the next day,” Balkaran-Mohammed said. “If she got 99, she would be upset because she wanted 100.”
Despite her dedication, Shazana never spent every waking hour studying.
She said she made time to play after school, often enjoying board games such as Monopoly with her parents before returning to her books.
“If you don’t relax a little bit, your brain will shut down,” she said.
She said her study routine focused on consistency. After completing homework each afternoon, she revised for upcoming tests, often studying late into the night before reviewing difficult topics again the following morning. During exams, she tackled the hardest questions first while they were fresh in her mind, she added.
Shazana credits her parents for supporting her through countless late-night study sessions.
Asked what message remained with her throughout primary school, her answer came without hesitation.
“‘Education is the key out of poverty’ and ‘Always put God in front and work behind.’ Those are the phrases that were repeated in class, and I will never forget them. They are drilled in my brain,” she added.
Although she admitted becoming the country’s top SEA student was unexpected, she said she had always hoped to achieve something extraordinary.
“I want to become someone people look up to—someone who helps others and encourages them to always do their best and be persistent,” she added.
