Top 25 P.S.E. performers honoured
You have heard some of the names before, but today the highest scorers on this year’s P.S.E. were officially honoured for their achievements.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
On May fifth, five thousand, eight hundred and sixteen standard six students took the primary school examination. Today, twenty-five of those children received awards for their performance.
Maude Hyde, Chief Education Officer
“Education is indeed the foundation on which national development must be anchored, however often in our efforts to attain basic education for all, we fail to emphasize sufficiently the importance of excellence in the form of outstanding academic achievement. Today, we take time out of our busy schedule to say to all the awardees, their parents and their teachers, you did well and the nation commend you for that.”
All the students received certificates and book awards. Micah Munoz of St. Ignatius School, who got the highest score in the 2003 exam, received the Jane and Michael Nembhard Award.
Micah Munoz, 2003 Jane and Michael Nembhard Awardee
“It is with great pleasure and appreciation that I accept this prestigious Jane and Michael Nembhard Award. All my efforts have paid off, all the late night studying, the extra classes and separate researches. Today, without one single doubt, and with confidence, I say that it was all worth it. I plan to continue my efforts at St. John’s College, where I will study as hard as ever. I know it will be very challenging, but I will try my best to succeed and pass.”
Munoz, who plans to be a neurologist in the future, may have known that he was the recipient of the prestigious award, but it came as a complete surprise to him when they also presented him with a fully loaded computer.
Micah Munoz
“We the children are the future and we are the future leaders of tomorrow and that we have to continue working hard to make a better Belize and that Belize is counting on us to make it a better nation. Thank you.”
Two years ago, the Primary School Examination was implemented to measure standard six students achievement in three subject areas: math, English and science. Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Francis Fonseca, in congratulating the awardees, says this year’s overall results, when compared to 2002, represent a four point four percent improvement in English, a point one increase in math performance and a six point nine percent drop in science. Fonseca says the results are simply not acceptable.
Francis Fonseca, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office
“In English, some of our schools are not teaching phonics and our children are not developing the fundamentals of reading. This affects every other aspect of the child’s development. Grammar, punctuation and vocabulary are critical elements of a child’s reading and writing skills development. More time and attention must be given to these priority elements.
“In math, we keep saying it, but we are not doing it. That is, we have to get back to the basics. Many of our children have not grasped basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There is no way around these basics, a teacher can simply not move on until the student has grasped these fundamental areas. We must also apply math concepts to real life situation, making their application more meaningful and relevant to our students.
“In science, it appears as if a lot of information is being imparted to our students, but they are given very little opportunities to experiment with these scientific concepts.”
Three students also received certificates for outstanding performance in three subject areas: Jaime Burgos for English language, Gabriel Guerrero for math and Stewart Jackson for science. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
