Guyana’s CAPE pass rate increases to 93.2%

Bhedesh Persaud, Vish Kistama and Atishta Seenarine

Guyana’s pass rate at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) increased to 93.22% this year, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Dr. Marcel Hutson announced today.

The Ministry of Education is hosting its official CSEC and CAPE announcement ceremony at Anna Regina in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). He said the results being released are preliminary.

In 2021, the CAPE pass rate was 90.86%. For that year, 723 candidates wrote the exams.

For 2022, a total of 671 students from 12 secondary schools and four private centers wrote CAPE.

There were 17 examination centers across the country, the most recent additions being  the West Demerara Secondary School and the Anna Regina Multilateral School.

Bhedesh Persaud of Queen’s College secured 14 Ones and 1 Grade Three at CAPE while Vish Kistama of Berbice High School secured 10 Grade Ones and 2 Grade Twos.

Atishta Seenarine of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School copped 9 Grade Ones.

Meanwhile, Treni Edwards of St Stanislaus College secured 6 Grade Ones, 3 Grade Twos, 3 Grade Threes and 1 Grade Four.

Stop complaining about students writing ‘too many subjects’ – Manickchand

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Education Minister Priya Manickchand has reasoned that there is no need for onlookers to complain about the local student population writing ‘too many subjects’ at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certification (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) levels.

Over the years, there have been several concerns about students in Guyana writing large numbers of subjects offered by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

This year, the most subjects written by a CSEC candidate was 27 while the best performing CAPE student wrote 15.

While there was an outpouring of congratulations for these hardworking students, many registered their concerns about the number of subjects being written.

But the Education Minister on Monday argued that this should not be an issue.

“A lot of people would complain about, well not complain but comment why are children writing so many subjects…213 in the whole population who did eight or more Grade Ones, and just 28 [candidates] with 12 or more subjects, so it is not that many of our children writing large numbers of subjects,” she pointed out.

Notwithstanding, she explained that there is also nothing wrong with students who opt to the lesser amounts.

“Any student who does five subjects inclusive of Math and English, we consider that they have done very well, excellent, in fact.”

In 2015, former APNU+AFC Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine was looking into the situation of the increasing number of subjects written by students at the CSEC examination level.

According to him, the pressure of doing a vast number of subjects does not create a very healthy learning environment.

As such, he was in favour of discouraging secondary school students from writing more than eight subjects.

“I believe that this multitude of subjects that students are doing we will have to have a look at that. Frankly, it has always really bugged my mind to know how a student can be doing 18 subjects and more,” he had said.

With big dreams but little finances, Essequibo boy took on 27 subjects

Ramoll Baboolall, one of this year's top performers. At right, he shares a heartening moment with his mother, moments after the preliminary results were announced

What do you do when your heart is set on studying abroad, but you cannot afford it?

You write 27 subjects- every single subject offered by your school- and hope that you can clinch a scholarship. At least that was Ramoll Baboolall’s plan.

Baboolall, a student of the Anna Regina Multilateral School on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon- Supenaam), secured 24 Grade One passes at this year’s sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

He also secured three Grade two passes, tying for the highest number of Grade One passes with his schoolmate Uotam Heeralall. That schoolmate scored 24 Grade one passes and one Grade two pass.

Baboolall, however, wrote the higher number of subjects- a herculean task to pursue, particularly when the standard school’s time-table caters for just about half of that.

“It takes so much out of you.

“… I devoted my everything to this,” Baboolall told the News Room moments after he found out his preliminary results on Monday.

Ramoll Baboolall with his mother Chaitwattie Narain (right), his sister (left) and Education Minister Priya Manickchand (Photo: Priya Manickchand/ Facebook/ September 5, 2022)

He explained that he attended numerous extra lessons, had dedicated study time and supportive teachers willing to forgo some of their lunchtimes to help him with his school work.

All of that was done because of his commitment to clinch a scholarship.

His mother Chaitwattie Narain, Baboolall’s mathematics teacher and the head of the mathematics department at the Anna Regina school, spoke about this underpinning drive.

According to her, the young man was keen on furthering his studies abroad and was particularly attracted to big, fancy colleges he saw while on vacation overseas. And he shared his desire to attend one of those schools with her.

“I said, ‘Son, those things cost millions of dollars and your mommy cannot afford it. The only thing that can help you to go there… is for you to achieve a scholarship.’

“And that was the idea behind the 27 subjects,” Narain said.

Narain is a single mother to Baboolall and his older sister. Not only is his achievement one that makes all of his hard work well worth it, but it is one that his mother cherishes.

“It’s an emotional moment for me.

“You know when you are poor, and you come from a poor home and you would’ve sacrificed everything to give your children an education and they are successful, it would mean so much to you as a parent,” an emotional Narain said.

Now, the young man, an aspiring biochemist, will await his final results and see whether he has qualified for one of the scholarships offered by the Government of Guyana or the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

Until then, he has some time to catch up on his favourite TV show (though, he already finished the latest season of Stranger Things) and think about his future.

“I feel like I have to move forward with my studies,” the top student says.

“There’s no going back after doing 27 subjects.”

What are these 27 subjects?

2022 Subject Offerings

THE CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

2022 SUBJECT OFFERINGS: CCSLC^®, CSEC^® AND CAPE^®

Source --- https://www.cxc.org/2022-subject-offerings/

JANUARY 2022 CSEC^® SITTING

JUNE 2022 CCSLC® SITTING

MAY-JUNE 2022 CSEC^® SITTING

Source & rest of info --- https://www.cxc.org/2022-subject-offerings/

Essequibo youth who copped 27 subjects at this year’s CSEC rewarded by businessman

Businessman Azruddin Mohamed earlier today met with 17-year-old Ramoll Babolall of Anna Regina Multilateral School student who secured passes in 27 subjects including 24-grade ones and 3-grade twos at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

During the meeting, the young man whose aspiration is to become a biochemist was congratulated and rewarded with a token for his exemplary performance by Mohamed whose parents also originated from the Essequibo Coast.

The teenager has not only made his mother and teachers proud but his community and ultimately all Essequibians.

The businessman and the lad in discussion during the meeting (Team Mohamed’s photo)

“I would also like to congratulate your mother for her tremendous support during your studies which undoubtedly played a pivotal role in your performance in the exams,” the businessman told the lad.

He nevertheless, encouraged the young man to follow his career path by becoming the best biochemist that Guyana ever produces.

To this end, Mohamed offered to offset the expenses for his tertiary education in the event he does not receive a scholarship from the Government of Guyana.

Baboolall tied for the most Grade One passes with his schoolmate Uotam Heeralall, who also secured a Grade two pass.