Anna Regina Secondary was on Thursday recognised as the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) School of the Year, while Queen’s College (QC) was similarly awarded for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) at the Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) 2019 Award ceremony.
At the Grenada event, Guyana copped five awards at the CSEC level, including that of Most Outstanding CSEC student which was won by Riana Toney, a student of Anna Regina Secondary. Because of Toney’s achievement, her school was recognised as the CSEC School of the year.
Toney secured 19 Grade Ones at CSEC in Agricultural Science, Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, English A, English B, Geography, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Business, Religious Education, Social Studies, Spanish, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport, and Human and Social Biology. She also scooped the top award for Humanities.
Speaking at the ceremony, Toney encouraged her fellow students to reach for the stars. “Continue working hard, set your goals and stop at no cost to transform them into reality,” she was quoted as saying in a Ministry of Education press release.
She also observed that success demands sacrifice, which students must be willing to continue to make as they venture into the world of work. Toney used the forum to express gratitude to her parents, teachers and colleagues for aiding in her success.
Meanwhile, QC was adjudged the CAPE School of the Year. This is the second consecutive year the institution has brought home the CAPE award, which is granted to the school that produces the winner of the Dennis Irvine Award.
In 2019, the award was won by Michael Bhopaul, who secured 16 Grade One passes over the two years of the CAPE programme. For his performance, the former top CSEC performer also received the RM Results-sponsored award for Most Outstanding Candidate in Mathematics and the top award for Natural Sciences.
Bhopaul secured passes in Applied Mathematics Unit 1 and 2, Biology Unit 1 and 2, Caribbean Studies, Chemistry Unit 1 and 2, Communication Studies, French Unit 1 and 2, Integrated Mathematics, Physics Unit 1 and 2, Pure Mathematics Unit 1 and 2 and Spanish Unit 1.
Other awards won by Guyana include that of Top Science Student, which was won by QC student Samuel Haynes with 18 Grade Ones at CSEC in Agricultural Science, Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, Economics, English Language, English Literature, Geography, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Spanish, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport, Human and Social Biology, and Additional Mathematics.
Brianna Gopie, also of Queen’s College, was awarded for emerging as the region’s top Business student. Gopie secured 16 Grade Ones at CSEC in Economics, English Language, English Literature, Geography, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies, Spanish, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport, Additional Mathematics, and Food and Nutrition and Health.
When the 2019 CSEC results were announced, Guyana recorded a 73 per cent overall pass rate in grades one to three, the highest ever pass rate in the country’s history. Last year’s pass rate stood at 69.1 per cent.
