Spreading Wings of Excellence in CSEC, CAPE Exams
Brenda Armstrong
On Thursday, we showed you the top students in this year’s CXC exams where more than one hundred and eighty students were recognized for good grades in the CSEC and CAPE exams taken earlier this year. The Ministry of Education reported that the three thousand, seven hundred and ninety-four students registered for the CSEC exams for the 2016-2017 academic year. Fredezia Lambey of Independence High School got the highest, followed by Amanda Graniel of E.P. Yorke in Belize City and Liyan Moralez of Bishop Martin High School in Orange Walk. Chairperson of the CXC National Committee in Belize, Brenda Armstrong says that the grades have improved and they have noticed good passes in schools that didn’t used to make the top grades, with Independence High getting this year’s first place and Bishop Martin making it into the top three.
Brenda Armstrong, Chairperson, CXC National Committee Belize
“We are very excited and happy to know that excellence is now spreading its wings, so to speak. The fact that the top awardee in the CSEC examination is worthy of celebration. We have been working as a secondary level unit to encourage improvement and we are excited at the fact that Independence High School, which has gradually grown over the years, is the school from which this year’s top awardee has come. It speaks volumes that schools who have been working hard can now say that they are seeing the evidence of their investments and everybody at Independence should be congratulated.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, overall, Miss Armstrong, we’re seeing higher passes, you say?”
Brenda Armstrong
Yes. Some years ago, I think a little rivalry began and people began to look at increasing the number of exams they would sit and there is a financial reward for that. But I think there is another level of improvement whereas students would take ten subjects and get ones, twos and threes; we have a strong number of students, a high caliber set that maybe do not sit twenty, but they get all ones.”
Andrea Polanco
“The subject areas, are we seeing new, different subjects being sit at the CXC level?”
Brenda Armstrong
“The range of subjects has broadened greatly. I can think back to when CXC was offered in fifteen or sixteen subjects, now we are in the thirties and our high schools have risen to the challenge and have added to their curriculum and our students are to be commended because they have additionally taken subjects that they don’t sit in the schools as a student. So, a combination of these things has led to a higher number of passes.”
