Five students have won prizes after penning portraits of the most important men in their lives — their fathers.

The Father of the Year Award, which was organised by the Ministry of Education and open to P6 and M1 public school pupils, asked contributors to write an essay explaining why their fathers deserved the accolade.

At a ceremony at the Cabinet Office today, Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education, presented Chromebooks, restaurant vouchers and certificates to the five winners.

Before presenting the awards, Mr Rabain said: “Very much like the relationship between a father and a child, I am happy to see this grow from strength to strength as the years go by.

“We’re proud and happy with the submissions we did get from our P6 students and M1 students. I just want us as adults to take this moment to applaud our young people.

“I was told these essays were very attention-grabbing from the start. They described relationships with their fathers in extremely important ways. I was also told it was extremely difficult to pick winners from the schools because all of the essays highlighted loving experiences in vivid, evocative language to express adoration and love for their fathers.”

Mr Rabain thanked corporate sponsors who provided prizes for the competition winners, adding: “We’ve all heard that it takes a village to raise a child, and we say this often enough but we don’t actually see it.

“Today we’re seeing it. We see the village in front of us and we see the village of sponsors who have stepped forward to give what they could.

“There’s another saying and it goes like this: every father should remember that one day, his child will follow his example and not his advice. I’m sure today the fathers and father figures that are gathered can see the joys and the possibilities of setting that example for your children to follow.

“Thank you for being the powerful examples that you have been, that have led your children to write in and say why you should be considered the Father of the Year.

The winners:

Seji Wallington-Ingham, from Purvis Primary

Timaii Davis, from Paget Primary

Jazmine Borden, from Clearwater Middle School

Zion Woods, from Harrington Sound Primary School

Prince Domingo, from Whitney Institute