Students awarded for outstanding CSEC and CAPE scores
And in the city there was another group of happy recipients. Three hundred plus students scored top grades in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate, formerly C.X.C., and one in the Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination earlier this year. Today, they were honored at an award ceremony. The students from high schools and sixth forms came out in numbers at the Bliss Auditorium to witness the presentation of the awards to the most outstanding students. They were joined by proud friends and family members. News Five Duane Moody was there and has this report.
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“What outstanding performance by these students, they deserve all the accolades we can shower on them. Please let’s give them a round of applause.”
Duane Moody, Reporting
Some three hundred and fourteen students from high schools were awarded certificates of excellence for obtaining grades one or two in six or more subject areas at the general-technical proficiency. Taking the top spot for CSEC was Athina Swasey from Edward P. Yorke who received eleven grade ones.
Athina Swasey, Most Outstanding Candidate, CSEC
“I feel very good and I’m proud of myself and I appreciate all that has been given to me.”
Duane Moody
“What advice would you have for your peers and others who might want to do the same thing that you did?”
Athina Swasey
“Study hard, have confidence in yourself, believe that you can succeed even you might think you can’t, you can. So have faith in yourself. I did not expect to be the best. Honestly, I didn’t so having been recognized as such I am very grateful. I plan to finish sixth form here, go abroad, I hope to become a doctor.”
For the CAPE category, Stacey Grinage, a student from St. John’s College Junior College was the outstanding candidate for the examination. As Swasey, Grinage also takes home, a plaque, a laptop and a full scholarship to any school of her choice.
Stacey Grinage, Most Outstanding Candidate, CAPE
“It took hard work definitely. During my two years at junior college, I already had in my mind that I wanted to take CAPE exams and I decided that I would take the courses that would put me in the competition to win the scholarship. So the hard work and being sociable at school, and being friendly with my lit teachers… that’s all. I plan to attend the University of the West Indies to study law and become a lawyer in Belize and right now I am a student at the University of Belize studying History.”
But has there been any improvement in the CSEC examinations compared to last year’s results? Minister of Education, Patrick Faber says there has been an overall improvement in the results.
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“I am informed that performance on the 2009 CSEC examinations showed an overall improvement over 2008. The technical personnel in the Ministry of Education tells me this and they tell me that the preliminary analysis showed that of the thirty-four subjects examined, performance improved in seventeen of the subjects while there was a decline in eleven and the results in five subjects remained the same. English A, English B, and social studies were among the subjects with the most notable improvements in 2009.”
The students also received plaques for three subject group awards and thirty-three individual subject awards. The ceremonies also featured musical presentations from the Anglican Cathedral College steel pan and band. Duane Moody, reporting for News Five.
The scholarships are valued at over eighty thousand dollars.
