Top P.S.E. scorers take a bow
The names and rankings were announced several weeks ago, but today was the day that the hard working students got to take their bows and bask in the spotlight of official recognition.
Janelle Chanona
This morning, to an audience of their biggest fans: their family, friends and teachers, the nation?s top scorers in this year Primary School Examination took centre stage.
The boys and girls come from primary schools in the Belize, Orange Walk, Corozal, and Cayo districts outsmarting more than five thousand of their peers, but some by less than a percent.
The country?s best student, Rasine Gillett of St. Joseph?s Primary in Belize City, was honoured for her remarkable achievement with the prestigious Jane and Michael Nembhard Award. With it came a fully loaded computer package from Minister of Education Francis Fonseca and a book award and certificate from his ministry.
Rasine Gillett, Top PSE student
?I just studied and remembered what my teachers told me, paid attention in class, and when I found out the good news, I felt proud of myself and all of those who help my like teachers and my parents. ?
Janelle Chanona
Do they have to tell you to study?
Rasine Gillett
?Sometimes. (laughs) They just made sure that I studied hard and did my best and turned it out that it worked right? ?
Each student has a story of the people in their lives who made his or her accomplishment possible. In all cases the role of the family was paramount.
Tara Holder
?My mom was very supportive and my dad always told me to study extra hard, because he always knew I would have done well, so they really supported me a lot.?
?I had to listen a lot to my teacher, you study before you get to the P.S.E., never cram the night before, and you always get a good night?s sleep.?
For young Billy Mira, his milestone is part of a family tradition…all of his brothers and sisters earned a spot in the top one percent of the country when it was time for them to take the Belize National Selection Exam, and later, the Primary School Examination.
Billy Mira, Belmopan Upper School
?Well, as all my brothers and sisters before me did well, I continued the tradition to do well. I guess this is the last for the Mira family.?
Janelle Chanona
?How many brothers and sisters you have??
Billy Mira, Belmopan Upper School
?Six brothers and three sisters.?
According to the Ministry of Education, there were marked improvements in all four subjects. In 2003, the average in English was fifty-four points nine percent, this year it?s fifty-five point one. Mathematics climbed thirteen percent from forty-one point nine percent to fifty-four point nine. In science, students went from fifty-two percent to sixty-six point six percent. And in its re-entry into the P.S.E., social studies performance averaged sixty point six percent.
Officials say better prepared students and teachers, a more user friendly exam, and a greater interest overall contributed to the increases.
Maud Hyde, Chief Education Officer
?One of the most important things we did for this year?s P.S.E. was to allow the administration of the examination to cover two days. So this allowed the children to concentrate more on finishing two papers first, having a break in between, and then going back and taking another two papers. In the past, the examination day used to be very long and tiresome, frustrating for many, many students, and it was evident that by afternoon they were really tired. So we felt that it was time that we move to a situation where we can allow them to perform the best they can on that day. ?
In his address to the audience, Minister of Education Francis Fonseca emphasized the impact family has had on the national averages.
Francis Fonseca
?Many teachers have also commented to me that this past year they have seen a greater interest on the part of some parents and guardians in their children?s school activities and P.S.E. preparation in particular. I realise that this still continues to be the exception rather than the rule, but we must strongly it and applaud it. ?
Already planning for next year?s exam, Chief Education Officer Maud Hyde says the upward trend in grades will continue in 2005.
Maud Hyde
?Again, it has to be much more work at the school level. The ministry continues to have training workshops for teachers to help them to develop their own skills, and that happens in all districts over the summer. During the first two weeks of August particularly, there we have specially targeted summer training for teachers which we know have contributed significantly to improvement in the classroom over the years. ?
The twenty-six students awarded for their grades in the 2004 Primary School Examination are: Rasine Gillett, St. Joseph; Hero Balani, Holy Redeemer; Yuen Han Lin, St. Joseph; Pedro Gonzales, St. Joseph; Christopher Chang, Belize Elementary; Anya Aikman, Grace Primary; Ashley Moreno, Belize Elementary; Tara Holder, Hummingbird Elementary; Crystal Allen, St. Joseph; Jordan Medina, Belize Elementary; Gabriela Delangel, Holy Redeemer; Billy Mira, Belmopan Upper; Marion Carter, St. Francis Xavier; Idalia Machuca, Solomons Seven Day Adventist; Catherine Soukup, Island Academy; Karina Bol, St. Andrews Anglican; Claudia Chavarria, Our Lady of Guadalupe; Jonclaude Waight, St. Joseph Amrah Canul, Holy Redeemer; Kyrstie Bevans, Grace Primary; Lian Sheng Liu, St. Francis Xavier; Antonio Sosa, La Immaculada; Evan E. Brown, Holy Redeemer; Jian Yang, St. Ignatius; Zi Liang Mo, St. Francis Xavier; and Jovani Burgos, Grace Primary.
