-overall improvement in performance over last year
SAIEED Khalail of Queens College (QC) has topped this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
His school has also maintained its traditional high academic standards copping six of the top 10 positions.
The results of this year’s examinations were released during a press briefing, yesterday, by Education Minister Shaik Baksh at the Ministry’s boardroom. For 2010 the candidate entries, from public and private schools, numbered 11,362 and 141 candidates secured Grade One passes in eight and more subjects.
Top performer Mr. Saieed Khalil from QC secured 15 Grade Ones and one Grade Two.
He told the Guyana Chronicle that his success is due to the coming together of an entire class.
“People say that it takes a village to raise a child. In the same way it takes a whole school to ensure that a student succeeds. Support in all areas is very important,” he said.
Kalill noted that the next step for him will be furthering his studies.

Also from QC is 15-year-old Kelly Ann Persaud, who, despite skipping two classes, proved her competence at such a young age with 15 Grade Ones.
Persaud is the sister of Ms. Kia Persaud, another academic high flier, who topped the country last year at CSEC with 14 Grade Ones and made headlines again this year with her performance at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).
The 15-year-old said, “I am on cloud nine right now…my success came from hard work, not long work, just hard work.”
She noted that she will also be furthering her studies.

Ms. Candace Barnes, from QC, earned 14 Grade Ones and one Grade Two.
She noted that the key to success is balance and pointed out that being able to maintain balance with school and lessons contributed to her success.
“My next step is sixth form to do CAPE,” Barnes said.
QC’s Lide Forde said he is pleased with the 14 Grade One and one Grade Two, but noted that he is disappointed with the Grade Two in Economics.
“It is a lot of hard work and success will only come when you work hard. My next step is sixth form,” he said.
Not to be left out, Anna Regina Multilateral once more proved its mettle, and Ms. Yeeshana Ganpat secured 13 Grade Ones and one Grade Two.
With 13 Grade Ones was another QC student, Ms. Sophia King who is currently out of the country.

Sixteen-year old Yeeshana Ganpat of Bush Lot, Essequibo Coast placed fifth in the country and top Region 2 at the recent CSEC Examinations 2010.
The very soft spoken young lady who attends the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School, said she was very shocked but excited when the Guyana Chronicle reporter Brandon Cabose broke the news to her via the telephone.
Ms. Ganpat who said she wants to pursue a medical career said she was expecting to do well at the examinations but was shocked at the result. She went on to inform the Chronicle that she would wake up in the mornings and study from 05:00 h before getting ready to go to school. She then also took extra lessons each day after school from 15:00 h until 17:30 h before heading home after which she would take a rest and then study from 19:00 h to 21:00 h before retiring to bed.
Yeeshana who is the youngest in her family said her parents played a major role in her success, since they along with her friends would assist her in her assignments and home work and would always be there to give her advice and lend a helping hand.
Her teachers also contributed significantly, she said, in her doing so well since they took the extra time to explain and make sure that everyone in the class understood what was being taught.
Ms Ganpat though nervous and happy with the results further said that her favourite subject is mathematics while Spanish was the most challenging for her. She said her plan for the near future is to attend the University of Guyana and pursue her studies in the field of medicine.
She also took time out to thank God who as she noted played the biggest part in her success as she said without his help and guidance she could never have done so well. She also gave special thanks to her parents, friends, teachers and all the persons who helped her in her achievement.
Her mother Ms. Leela Ganpat, said she was very proud of her daughter’s achievement since she expected her to do well, because she has always been a high achiever in school, adding that she always knew her daughter had the ability to do so well at the examinations.
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Sixteen-year old Kalina Bulkhan, a student of Mae’s Secondary School who placed 7th with 13 Grade Ones, was visibly overjoyed when she learnt of her success.
“I want to thank my parents and my sisters who were inspirations to me,” adding, “they were my examples,” she said.
Kalina, attributing her success to the support she received from her family and her teachers at school, said: “They put a lot of time and effort into ensuring this was possible.”
She pointed out that she studied for long hours in preparation for the examinations and encouraged others to do the same if they are to be successful.
Beaming with pride at her daughter’s achievement, Mrs. Kamini Bulkhan pointed out that she was vey happy with Kamini’s performance at the examinations.

“Thanks to God and to my parents,” Salma Ferouz exclaimed upon learning of her 13 Grade Ones, which placed her in 8th position in the country.
A former student of Isa Islamic School who now attends Mae’s Secondary School, Ferouz revealed that her grades were only possible through hard work.
“It was difficult, I attended lots of lessons and I would have to awake very early and return home very late at nights,” she said.
Salma pointed out that, in addition to her parents, she received tremendous support and encouragement from her entire family in preparation for the CXC exams.
She revealed that she plans to attend the American Medical School in Kitty, with the hopes of pursuing a career in Medicine.
“I’m pretty excited, I did not expect this,” she exclaimed.
“We are happy and thankful,” her mother happily stated, “She was always a hard worker and our entire family is happy for her success and wish her the best,” Mrs. Ferouz added.

Upon hearing the news of her success, 16-year old Krista Yan from Marian Academy expressed her profound gratitude to her parents and her teachers who supported and encouraged her.
“I had tremendous support from tons of people at home and at school and I want to thank everyone,” Krysta said.
She said that she was not surprised that she excelled at the CSEC examinations because she had been working very hard towards that goal.
“I am happy but I expected to do well as I studied hard every day,” the overjoyed teen said.
Attaining 13 grade Ones, which places her in 9th position in the country, Krysta revealed that she will be attending 6th Form at School of the Nations, with the hope to pursue a career in Law.
Principal of Marian Academy, Sister Marie Harper pointed out that she was not surprised at the results, as Krysta, who was Head Prefect and graduated Valedictorian was always consistent in her studies.
“It is no surprise that she did so well, we hope that she will continue to excel in everything she does.” Sister Harper stated.

Completing the list of top 10 performers is Ms. Shivanie Harry with 12 Grade Ones and two Grade Twos.
Harry said, “I am excited, but what I did I did with the backing of many people who supported me to the end.”
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is expected to announce the top performer at CSEC regionally sometime in October.

Top Schools
Aside from the top ten, the other 131 students secured Grade One passes in eight or more subjects.
The schools producing Guyana’s top achievers are from several education districts: Regions Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara), Four (Demerara/ Mahaica), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) and Georgetown.
In Region Two, Anna Regina Multilateral has 10 students in the top 141 and Abram’s Zuil Secondary has five.
From Region Three, the West Demerara Secondary School has six among the top performers and Saraswati Vidya Nikitan has five.
President’s College from Region Four has three students with Grade One passes in eight or more subjects and Mackenzie High has one.
In the Georgetown education district Queen’s College has 43, The Bishops’ High School 28, St. Stanislaus seven, St. Joseph’s High School and Marian Academy have four each, Mae’s Secondary three, ISA Islamic School has three, Central High School has three, St. Rose’s High School has two and St. John’s College, New Guyana School and Guyana Private have one each.
Analysis by the Ministry of Education revealed that the overall pass rate at the general and technical proficiencies for Grades One to Three was 66 per cent and the overall 2010 Grades One to Four pass rate was 86 per cent.
Compared to 2009 there has been an increase in both areas. Last year the Grades One to Three pass rate was 64 per cent and the Grades One to Four pass rate was 83 per cent.
The Guyanese candidates were offered 34 subjects at the examination.
Of these, excellent performance was recorded in 14 subject areas where the Grades One to Three passes were 75 per cent.
These areas included Agriculture Science (Double Award), Agriculture Science (Single Award), Clothing and Textiles, Food and Nutrition, Home Economics, Information Technology (General), Integrated Science, Religious Education, Social Studies, Theatre Arts, Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM), Physical Education and Sport, Building Technology (Construction) and Building Technology (Woods).
Excellent performance, where the Grades One to Four pass rate exceeded 90 per cent, was also recorded in 21 other subject areas: Science (Double Award), Agriculture Science (Single Award), Biology, Clothing and Textiles, Food and Nutrition, Home Economic Management, Information Technology (General), Integrated Science, Office Administration, Physics, Religious Education, Social Studies, Technical Drawing, Theatre Arts, EDPM, Physical Education and Sports, Human and Social Biology, Building Technology (Construction) and Building Technology (Woods), Electrical and Electronic Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology.
Satisfactory performance was recorded 17 subject areas where Grades One to Three passes exceeded 50 per cent, while Grades One to Four passes are in excess of 75 per cent.
The 17 subject areas included Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, Economics, English Language, English Literature, French, Geography, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Spanish, Technical Drawing, Human and Social Biology, Electrical and Electronic Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology.
In Mathematics and Visual Arts the Grades One to Three passes were less that 50 per cent: 35 per cent in Mathematics and 47 per cent in Visual Arts.

Significant Improvement
The Education Minister maintained that Guyana is making “significant strides” in secondary education.
He noted that Guyana is “almost on par” with Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica.
Baksh said he was most impressed by the improved performance in English, where the Grades One to Three passes moved from 50 per cent in 2009 to 59 per cent in 2010. The Grades One to Four passes in 2009 was 79 per cent, but moved to 86 per cent passes in 2010.
“This shows that our interventions are working,” he said.
Performance in English Literature moved from unsatisfactory 38 per cent passes (Grades One to Three) to 66 per cent in 2010.
Baksh stated that this is good and noted that English Literature is almost compulsory, a good move since it enables the students to do better in English Language.
The Education Minister noted that there are several ongoing initiatives, which include a certificate programme involving approximately 300 teachers and a support for students via distance education modules.
However, he noted that the challenge stands in the area of Mathematics and the Sciences where there is a lack of teachers.
Baksh pointed out though that there are an increasing number of teachers at the Cyril Potter College of Education, which will address this challenge.
The Education Minister also addressed the gender disparity and acknowledged that this year 68 per cent of the entries were female and 31 per cent male.
“There is a greater divide than last year where we saw 52.6 per cent females and 47.4 males,” he said.
Overall the Grades One to Three passes were divided 42 per cent females and 24 males.
In this context, Baksh said the Ministry is focusing on several strategies to keep males in schools: the Secondary Competency Certificate Programme (SCCP), which focuses on Technical and Vocational training; and the Six-year school programme, which focuses on remediation.
Overall the Education Minister said there was growth in several areas: there was an increase in the number of students taking the exams; an increase in the subject entries; and the pass rates.
Baksh added that an increasing amount of resources are being allocated to education in Guyana to ensure that the children are well equipped to perform at their best and bring equity across the sector.