AS the Ministry of Education awaits the criteria for awarding top student honours, as issued by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) in relation to performances at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination, Minister of Education Shaik Baksh has provided data indicating that, based on a comparative analysis, the six strongest public secondary schools in Guyana are out-performing the six strongest private secondary schools by a ratio of approximately 60 percent.

QUOTE: Minister of Education Shaik Baksh has provided data indicating that, based on a comparative analysis, the six strongest public secondary schools in Guyana are out-performing the six strongest private secondary schools by a ratio of approximately 60 percent.

At a recent press briefing, where the results of Guyana’s CSEC students were released, the Minister outlined that a public – private school analysis shows that the top six public secondary schools secured a 76.2 percent pass rate, while the top six private secondary schools collectively produced a 20.62 percent pass rate.
Government’s thrust towards ensuring that Guyana’s public education system sufficiently caters to the needs of students has seen the infusion of resources, enhancement of facilities and prioritization of teacher training. The focus is to ensure that all students who completed secondary education have the required passes necessary to access further education.

According to the Minister, the 2010 CXC results show that Government’s interventions are proving beneficial, and contributing to higher results.
He cited that one of the most outstanding examples in this regard is the results of students who wrote the regional English Literature (English B) examination. The empirical data provided show that while the result in 2009 was 38.4 percent, in 2010, 65.4 percent of the students passed this examination.
The Minister was impressed with this statistic, noting that “Our students are reading more and our teachers are employing the right methodology.”
An evaluation of productivity in traditionally high performing schools indicate that they are still performing at an outstanding rate, with Science subjects showing satisfactory results: 70.2 percent in Biology, 77.1 percent in Chemistry and 69 percent in Physics. Satisfactory results were also recorded in the Foreign Languages (Spanish and French) and in Economics, which is in its second year as an exam subject.
Based on the highest number of passes for matriculation, grades I-III with five or more subjects, Bishops’ High School produced a 92.78% pass rate; President’s College produced a 89.58 percent pass rate; at St. Joseph High School 114 out of 140 students met the matriculation requirements, at Queen’s College, 87 out of 122 students, Mackenzie High 79 out of 112, a 70.54 percent pass rate; at St. Rose’s High School, 48 of 85 students performed to the standard, 55. 42 percent, and in Berbice, at the New Amsterdam Secondary School, there was a 55 percent student pass rate.
Outside of the capital city, outstanding performances were recorded at the Anna Regina Multilateral High School, Abram’s Zuil Secondary, West Demerara Secondary, Skeldon Line Path, Berbice High, JC Chandisingh Secondary and the Mackenzie High in Linden.
Privately operated institutions which prepared students for the 2010 CSEC examinations included the New Guyana School which had one student with required grades for matriculation. This low number is also applicable to the Saraswati Vidya Nikitan, Marian’s Academy, Mae’s Secondary and the ISA Islamic School, where five, four, three and three students produced results that will allow them to matriculate.