Top scorers on P.S.E. honoured by government

The media is often criticized–and not unfairly–for over emphasising the negative aspects of the news. That is the highlighting of crime, violence and disaster over more inspiring stories chronicling our society’s many positive developments. While it may not signal a trend, tonight the choice of a lead was easy. What editor could resist the chance to big up Belize’s best and brightest at the annual P.S.E. award ceremony. Janelle Chanona reports.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
This morning, twenty six students from nine primary schools across the country were commended for their outstanding academic performance in the 2006 Primary School Examination.

Tina Shen of Belize Elementary School placed first overall, receiving the Michael and Jane Nembhard award, and a computer and printer from the Ministry of Education and Sigertronics.

Tina Shen, Belize Elementary School Student
?I would like to thank my parents and friends for having confidence in me and God for guidance and wisdom. The support and confidence I received have helped me a lot in my success. My hard work and dedication to do well to make my family, friends, teachers and school proud have also helped me. Finally, I would like to congratulate all the students who did well on Primary School Examination. Thank you very much.?

The Belize district students took the bulk of the awards, with twenty two boys and girls receiving certificates. Chapel School in Orange Walk was represented by young Rocio Barrios. But for three students from Dangriga?s Sacred Heart School, their great grades were a major milestone in the school?s history.

Aimee Wong, Sacred Heart Student
?It?s very special because, in the history of Sacred Heart, actually, three people, first time three people came for this award.?

Wicky Cheng, Sacred Heart Student
?It makes me feel very good.?

Janelle Chanona
?Yeah, What did the teachers say when they found out about this.?

Wicky Cheng
?They were very proud at how good I did.?

Aimee Wong
?Listen to your parents, and if they tell you to stop watch TV, it?s for a good reason.?

Jacqueline Sabal, Sacred Heart Student
?If they really want to do well, they should study hard and keep their mind on work, they?ll have time to play later on, so work first, play later.?

Holy Redeemer Student Jannine Gillett agrees.

Jannine Gillett, Holy Redeemer
?There is not a time really to get started. You should have already started from standard four. Because all you have to do is know everything to get ready for P.S.E. You have to study hard and listen to all your teachers. I would like to thank all my teachers, especially my math teacher, for helping me, it was a wonderful help. Thank you.?

But the disappointingly low scores in this year?s P.S.E. have prompted significant debate on why the children are doing poorly.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
?There are real challenges that we face in our education system, real challenges that we face in our society. And we have to find real solutions to those challenges. Real lasting solutions.?

Today, Minister of Education Francis Fonseca took a hard line on professionalism in the classroom.

Francis Fonseca
?The teacher training is an absolutely critical factor in improving the quality of education in our country. Today in Belize the number of qualified teachers is just around fifty-two percent, qualified teachers, so you understand the tremendous challenge that we face. The church has to take responsibility for that and we are going to work with them on that issue. We have to ensure that we have good quality teachers in the classroom; it can?t be that you are a good Catholic or you?re a good Anglican, and that is qualification for being a teacher. There must be more. And we have so many wonderful, wonderful teachers in our country. The vast majority of our teachers are good hardworking people, but those who are not performing must find another profession. We have to work together on that issue.?

Fonseca also called for focus on early childhood education and a strong support network for students.

Francis Fonseca
?It?s very very important that we provide access to early childhood education for our children throughout the country. Today in Belize, it?s under five percent who have access to early childhood education. But two years ago it was one percent. In the last two years, we have worked aggressively to ensure that we move that issue forward.?

Donovan Holder of Hummingbird Elementary had the third highest score in this year?s P.S.E. He and his mother dedicated countless hours to preparing for the exam.

Donovan Holder, P.S.E.
?I felt good, I worked hard from December.?

Janelle Chanona
?Tell me what kind of preparation you put into this, how many hours a day??

Donovan Holder
?Each weekend, I would study. I wouldn?t go anywhere. I would make sure that I knew everything in my book, and make sure I knew every formula for Math and so on.?

Suad Holder, Parent
?In our case, we started from December as Donovan mentioned before and you just have to continue. You just have to put a stop to everything you are doing and dedicate your entire time around P.S.E. to your kids essentially. I would like to encourage other parents to do the same, much more so than ever now.?

Allan Genitty, Deputy Chief Education Officer
?What is required from each of us is to do all we can to support our children and our schools. The Ministry has listened well to most of these discussions, even to the ones which were creative in their analysis. The Ministry will continue to work closely with the district education centres, general managers of primary schools, principals, teachers, parents and other stakeholders to continue to implement the necessary interventions which will enhance the delivery of quality education in our schools. This is our promise, this is our mission and this is our commitment.?

Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.

The nine schools honoured in today’s ceremony were Belize Elementary, Grace Primary, Hummingbird, St. Joseph, St. Ignatius and Holy Redeemer–all of Belize City–along with Crooked Tree Government School, Chapel School of Orange Walk and Dangriga’s Sacred Heart Primary.