Mackenzie High School (MHS) continues to hold its position as the leading senior secondary school in Region 10, attaining 100% passes in 10 out of 12 units offered in the 2012 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), including both Mathematics units.
“Over the last five years MHS has been constantly and consistently improving in CAPE results,” a proud Gary Roberts, Head Teacher at the school, told Stabroek News. Roberts said he was profoundly satisfied by the students’ performance, which placed the school second in the country, following closely on the heels of The Bishops’ High School, which topped this year.
Despite the decline in the school’s performance after it had recorded the best overall pass rate in 2007, 2010 and 2011, Mackenzie High earned 100% passes in Biology – Unit 1, Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies, Environmental Science – Unit 2, Information Technology, Law – Unit 2, Management of Business – Unit 2, Mathematics – Unit 1, Mathematics – Unit 2 and Sociology – Unit 1. The school also recorded 74% pass in History – Unit 1 and 75-99% passes in Economics – Unit 1. It scored an overall pass rate of 93.6% this year, compared with 92.5% in 2011.
Louise McCloud is the top student from Linden; scoring one Grade I, two Grade 2s, and one Grade 4. Collin Luckie came second with two Grade 1s and one Grade 3. They got grade ones in Environmental Science and Economics and Management of Business, respectively. McCloud was also crowned champion debater in the 2011 JOF Haynes competition.
According to Roberts, for the academic year 2011 -2012, 43 students registered for and wrote the exams. Eight students failed one subject each which accounted for a 6% failure. “All the other students got 100% passes,” he said, adding that it is also the first time that 100% passes were recorded in both Mathematics units.
“It was the first time in the history of school that both units of Math got 100% passes. This year marks the highest pass rate so far for CAPE in the history of the school. Law continues to lead in results. All students (8) gained grades I – III,” he said.
Although MHS had been challenged by staff shortages, a lack of text books and other resource materials, improper accommodation for teachers and students, it plans to expand the CAPE curriculum for the academic year 2012-2013.
“The school’s population has outgrown the number of classrooms available, so many of our students are not properly and comfortably seated. This poses one of our greatest challenges now and [it] gets worst… as the school’s population continues to expand,” Roberts explained.
However, the school’s administration is moving ahead with plans to widen the CAPE syllabus, “So our students would not have to leave Linden for CAPE.” Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Accounting, English Literature and Food and Nutrition are already available to students, though these subjects have not been offered at the Sixth Form level in Linden for a number of years.
