Belizeans do well on CXC exams
Standardized tests are not necessarily the best indicators of future accomplishment but they do enable us to make at least some kind of comparison between students across wide geographic areas. Today the area of focus was the English speaking Caribbean and, at least this time around, Belize looked very good.
For the second time in history, a Belizean student has won a regional award in one of eight different categories in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Exams. Former SJC student, Rishi Cummins, won the Regional Award in Humanities.
Rishi Cummins, Winner, Regional Award in Humanities
“I’m quite proud for winning the award for Belize and for the entire country as a whole. I believe that I’ve shown the entire Caribbean what Belize can do.”
Also proving her excellence in the exams was Jolene Kidd, now a Wesley graduate. She says the pay-off is greater than the hard work.
Jolene Kidd, Second Place, CXC Exams
“What were the exams like? They were difficult to an extent, but with a lot of studying it was manageable. I wasn’t expecting the results to be that good, but thankfully they were and I’m quite happy about it.”
Also understandably happy for their accomplishment in the exams were the other 303 students who received certificates of excellence for passes in six or more subjects at the General Proficiency or Technical Level.
Chairman of the CXC National Committee in Belize, Allan Genitty, says on a regional platform, while Belizean students do rank well in the academics, our strengths seem to be in the occupational and agricultural fields.
Allan Genitty, Chairman, CXC National Committee
“There’s always a need for better performance in subjects like English A which is English Language, and mathematics. But as a country, Belize is definitely holding its own and doing well. But we are doing quite well for many years in subjects like vocational technical subjects like food and nutrition clothing and textiles, technical drawing, geometrical drawing, agricultural subjects we are doing well in.”
But Genitty believes there’s one fairly new area that our students can begin excel in very soon.
Allan Genitty
“The teaching of Information Technology has as you know, you have to have proper computer labs and so on. So I believe that with the Internet for Schools Programme in place now and most schools getting up-to-date systems that in the next couple of years, maybe by next year we might see an increased number of students taking information technology at the Technical or the General level. And in addition too, the lower secondary school curriculum which has just been completed by the Quality Assurance and Development Services in the Ministry of Education has Information Technology as a core subject area.”
Both Cummins and Kidd are currently attending S.J.C. Junior College. They and the other three top finishers received full scholarships to attend U.B. and computers from Intelco. Altogether, some 2,999 students sat the exams in 2002.
Marion Ali, Reporting for News Five
The Humanities Award is granted to the student who earns a Grade One or Two at the General or Technical Proficiency level in seven or more subjects. This must include a grade one in English A and Mathematics, along with three Grade One’s from a list which includes Caribbean History, English B, French, Geography, Religious Education, Social Studies, Spanish, Music, Visual Arts, or Expressive Arts. The first student who won a regional award in the CXC was Elder Jimenez in 1999 when he topped the Craft category.
