Guyanese students performing well at CXC, CAPE – Giles

Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Senior Assistant Registrar Susan Giles has said that, over the years, Guyana has shown a lot of faith and commitment to the programmes offered by the council, and was among the first to sign onto its advanced proficiency programme in 1998.
Giles said that Guyanese students have also been excelling at the examinations, especially in the national awards, where students have been raking in the top awards, and the number of entries from Guyana, for both CXC and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), has also been outstanding.

40th anniversary
She was at the time speaking at a 40th anniversary prayer brunch for CXC at the Umana Yana, a Government Information Agency (GINA) report said.
Education Minister, Priya Manickchand said the continuation of the school feeding and the uniform assistance programmes and other initiatives including training for teachers, building schools and providing the necessary equipment and learning materials, have a long-term foreseeable benefit on the number of students who will be sitting the CXC examinations in the years to come.
“This will also [see] us continuing our trend of topping the Caribbean every year…we are able to do this because our system through (the special programmes) support our children,” Minister Manickchand said.
She emphasised that CXC might not be aware that most of the students who received the top prizes in Guyana are not necessarily from the wealthiest homes, and this is possibly one of the most distinctive changes with regards to the Guyanese CXC top performers.
This year marks four decades since the start of the CXC in 1973 in Barbados, and over the years, the exam has changed the way students in the region learn. Since the start of the year, several Caribbean territories have held observances to celebrate CXC’s milestone.
During Guyana’s activity, the Education Ministry gave recognition to the local registrar, moderators, examiners and staff of the examination division for their continuous and long service to CXC.
Education sector
Guyanese students coming out on top in the CXC exams are as a result of the investments made by the government in the education sector.
The minister noted that from the time she sat the CXC exams to now, a lot has changed in relation to the exam itself, and the way Guyana has adapted to those changes.
At the first CXC examination in 1979, former President Bharrat Jagdeo was among the just over 5000 Guyanese students who sat the exams, and at that time five subjects were being offered. Now more than 30 are being offered.
The minister recognised that Guyana has more students sitting the CXC exams now more than ever (over 13,000), an indication that the country is moving closer towards achieving universal secondary education. Due to Guyana’s location, the ministry is looking at how it can offer Portuguese as a subject from September.
“By the end of 2013, we are going to have universal secondary education, that means every child in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10, will have access to secondary education,” Minister Manickchand said.