ON WEDNESDAY, the Ministry of Education engaged in its yearly ritual of releasing the scholarship list for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). This is only the second time scholarships have been awarded under the Government's newly reformed scholarship programme.

We congratulate all 100 students who received scholarships, who were all selected on the basis of academic performance, as well as the 22 schools represented on the list.

Two students were awarded the President's Medal: Niall Hosein of Naparima College and Nikeesha Nancoo of Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College.

Ms Nancoo plans to study law, and though she's not sure what area she might specialise in already has a strong interest in advocacy.

'I'm interested in equality,' she said. 'I'm passionate about ensuring that everyone has broadened opportunities, especially those who don't have those opportunities.'

Her message is not only one that should inspire more people, but is particularly apt given that allowing more people opportunities is exactly what scholarships should be about.

We also congratulate Rio Claro West Secondary School form six student Akeem De Caine, who has won the school's first scholarship in the modern studies/humanities.

While there have been changes in how scholarships and bursaries are awarded, and while the covid19 pandemic has rocked learning practices, the list released on Wednesday nonetheless served as a reminder that some things remain the same.

For one, the bulk of schools featured were denominational. Scholarships also went to slightly fewer schools than last year, an indication that the spread of these academic awards remains relatively fixed.

Listening to the accounts given to the media by many of the parents of the scholarship winners also revealed many had serious doubts over whether their children would have won scholarships because of the decision taken to reduce them. (In the new system, applications are taken separately for special bursaries, which are awarded under different criteria, such as financial need.)

These expressions demonstrated the considerable pressure and anxiety students still face, not only in relation to whether they will win awards, but also in relation to accessing tertiary education more generally.

Rationalisation of the scholarship programme has come alongside cuts in state expenditure across the board, though there is the feeling that if there is one area the State should not cut it is education.

With tertiary education no longer being free, with Caribbean economies all facing tough times, and with institutions such as UWI eyeing higher tuition fees, things are looking bleaker for students who do not win awards.

While there is hope the worst of the covid19 pandemic is over, the need for a reckoning with our education system, from top to bottom, remains as urgent as ever, even as we applaud the good work of those who have excelled.