Minister Baksh generally satisfied with performance
Education Minister Shaik Baksh yesterday announced that Mae’s Under 12 pupil, Larissa Wiltshire, copped the top place at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), with 567 marks out of a possible 592.

Speaking at a press briefing at his 26 Brickdam office, Baksh said Wiltshire’s performance, which bettered that of 18,612 other students, reflected her overall score in three separate assessments in Grades Two, Four and Six.

The Grade Two and Four assessments went for five per cent and 10 percent respectively of the NGSA overall score, and candidates sat Mathematics and English. The remaining percentage was allocated to the Grade Six examinations where students also sat Mathematics and English, along with Social Studies and Science.

Baksh reported 150 marks each was allocated to Science and Mathematics, 149 for English and 143 for Social Studies.

He disclosed that 81 boys were among the country’s top one percent pupils, but they were overshadowed by their female counterparts, who numbered 104.

Baksh explained that the top one percent of the candidates who sat the assessments totalled 185 pupils. He said of this number, 61 percent were from the public schools, while the private schools accounted for the remainder.

The other top students, the minister pointed out, were Samathra Rocke of St. Margaret’s Primary with 565 marks (second place), and Elijah Babb of New Guyana School who obtained 563(third).

The fourth position was shared by Sasha Williams of Mae’s Under 12 and Abhiymanyu Dev of Leonora Primary, who both obtained 562 marks.

Somant Heerall of Annandale Primary, Khajal Parasnauth of Dharmic Rama Krishna, and Darius Ali of Marian Academy copped the sixth place with 560 marks each.

The ninth spot was shared by Raman Arjune of Edinburgh Primary, Tonya Alves of Mae’s Under 12, David Ramroop of Peter’s Hall Primary, Lisa John of Leonora Primary, and Ashmini Persaud of Sparta Primary, who each gained 559 marks.

Twenty pupils from Mae’s Under 12 in Georgetown were among the country’s top one per cent, which accounted for the 185 candidates who sat the NGSA.

Thirteen candidates were each from St. Margaret’s in Georgetown and Leonora primary schools in Region Three (West Demerara/ Essequibo Islands).

Eleven were from North Georgetown Primary, 12 from the New Guyana School, nine from ABC Academy, six each from School of the Nations and Marian Academy, all from Georgetown with the exception of six from Cumberland Primary- in Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne).

Minister Baksh noted of the 185 students in the top one per cent, 119 were from Georgetown, 20 from Region Three, 15 from Region Six, 11 from Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Nine from Region Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), five from Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice), four from Region 10 (Upper Demerara/ Berbice) and one each from Regions Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takutu/ Upper Essequibo).

Baksh said some 50 candidates have been awarded non-residential places at President’s College, while 70 will gain residence.

He underlined that the cut-off scores at Queen’s College is 542 marks, Bishops’ High 534 marks , St. Stanislaus College 528, St. Rose’s High 519 and St. Joseph’s High 514 marks.

The minister said schools are classified as Sixth Form, Class A, B, C and D, based on their performance index over a three year period at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

He noted that unlike the previous years, when there was a cut-off score for each school, there is now a cut-off score for class of schools in a geographical location.

“This will clearly help us in avoiding the hardships of children having to travel from long distances. It will minimise those problems so that children can be allocated schools nearer to where they live,” Baksh stressed.

Overall, the minister said, he is generally satisfied with the results of the NGSA this year.