THE overall assessment done by the Ministry of Education, following the release of the 2010 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results, has found that The Bishops’ High is Guyana’s top school, with 93 per cent passes.
This was the conclusion after reviewing the performance of secondary schools that have Grades One to Three passes in five subjects, including Mathematics and English Language.
Following BHS, the top schools are President’s College with 90 per cent passes, St. Joseph’s High with 81 per cent passes, West Demerara Secondary with 77 per cent, Queen’s College and Anna Regina Multilateral with 71 per cent passes, Mackenzie with 70 per cent passes, St. Roses with 55 per cent passes and New Amsterdam Secondary with 50 per cent passes.
In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, BHS Headmistress Mrs. Beverly Daly explained that the high level of discipline maintained is the reason for the school’s successes.
She said, “A high level of discipline and dedicated teachers allow us to produce the quality students we do.”
Daly added that in a 40 week term, classes are structured so as to ensure that the students receive the best.
It should be noted that while Queen’s College produced top students this year with as much as 16 subjects, the Bishops High School limits their students to only 12.
The Headmistress explained that the scheduled teaching periods do not “adequately allow” for more than 12 subjects.
“Anything more than 12 subjects and we feel we will not be doing justice to our students,” Daly said.
Education Minister Shaik Baksh, at a public forum, had indicated that students should only sit examinations for eight subjects, but noted that a child who is able to sit more subjects should be allowed to do so.

In comparison with private schools, it was noted that public schools performed significantly better.
Saraswati Vidya Niketa was deemed the better performing private school with 76 per cent passes. Following was Marian Academy with 65 per cent passes, ISA Islamic School with 57 per cent passes, Mae’s Secondary with 30 per cent passes, the Business School with nine per cent passes and Apex Academy with seven per cent passes.
Additionally, the Education Minister said he is very pleased with this year’s performance.

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Baksh said those students with Grades One to Three in four subjects, but who did not manage to get Mathematics and English, will be allowed to re-sit the exam in January or in May-June.
He explained that centres will be opened across the country to prepare the students for the examinations.
This undertaking is being done in collaboration with the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) and the University of Guyana’s Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE).