Dear Editor,
I write to correct what appears to be an error on the part of the Minister of Education, Mr Shaik Baksh, or involved Ministry of Education officials, or both with respect to statistics on the recent CSEC results
In an article carried in Kaieteur News on August 23 and titled, ‘Bishops’ High is CSEC 2010 top performing school’ it was reported that “Outstanding among the private schools, which presented candidates for the examination, was the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School in Region Three.
The School presented 34 candidates and secured 26 passes representing a 76.47 percent pass rate. Marian Academy had a 64.58 percent pass rate, having secured 31 passes of the 48 candidates that were presented.” On the basis of information in my possession, this is inaccurate.
Instead, it is Marian Academy that should be identified as the top performing private school based on CSEC 2010 results. Of 47 students sitting for five or more subjects, 41 obtained passes in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, and between grades one and three.
This translates to a pass rate of 87.23 per cent, and makes it the leader among the private schools, and a top flight performer (third place) among all schools. As an aside – and to emphasize the malleable nature of statistics – 46 of the same 47 students at Marian Academy gained grade one to three passes in five or more subjects, which is equivalent to a pass rate of 97.87 per cent; however, five of the successful students did not obtain grade one to three passes in Mathematics.
In the interests of fair disclosure, I should mention that I am attached to both Bishops’ High and Marian Academy by family ties and working association respectively. As the record is set straight, congratulations are extended to schools, students, and educators for rising to the occasion under very demanding conditions.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
