Seventeen-year-old Alex Muntaz of Cotton Field, Anna Regina in Region Two made his parents and the region proud once more when preliminarily he topped the country at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC).
The results were disclosed by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, yesterday at the Anna Regina Secondary School where she cautioned that the results were preliminary and that the results portal would be open by midnight last night.
Muntaz, of the Anna Regina Secondary, had topped Region Two in 2018 at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and did it again when he gained 23 Ones and four Twos at one sitting of the examinations. He is hoping to pursue his dream career in medicine or engineering. In speaking about his success, the young man said that he received support from his parents and teachers who supported him with his SBAs and spent many sleepless nights studying to achieve his grades.
His parents, Neelawattie and Reyaz Muntaz, said that their son’s performance brought tears to their eyes. Both said that Muntaz always performed well at examinations and this time was no exception.
Meanwhile, Virendra Dookie of Swarswati Vidya Niketan on the West Coast of Demerara was overjoyed with his performance. He secured 19 Ones and one Two. Dookie said that he was determined to excel in the examinations and spent a lot of time studying.
Next was Suriya Walcott of Queenstown Village on the Essequibo Coast and another Anna Regina Secondary student who secured 18 Ones and 6 Twos. Walcott’s aspiration is to become a lawyer. She thanked the Almighty, her teachers, and her parents John and Oneka Walcott, for their support.
“Writing so many subjects was not a walk in the park, it was strenuous on the student and parents’ pockets so I am happy I made everyone proud and am happy to be in the top three for the country,” Walcott said.
In the fourth position, was Kuntie Singh of Abram Zuil Secondary. She gained 18 Ones and 5 Twos and was in the business stream at her school. She said that she hasn’t decided which career path to take but intends to thank all the teachers and her parents for the support she received. She said that she was determined to make her school proud.
Another Anna Regina Secondary student, Murizio Mangra, gained 17 Ones and 10 Twos. He credited his success to hard work, sleepless nights and dedication to attend extra lessons. Mangra, too, thanked the teachers and his parents. He is hoping to acquire a scholarship and further his studies.
Making Queen’s College proud was Authur Roberts, Naila Rahaman, Tahsmee Ganesh, Noah Aryan Persaud, and Susanna Khemraj. Roberts secured 17 Ones and 5 Twos, while Rahaman gained 17 Ones and 2 Twos. Ganesh got 17 Ones and 3 Twos, while Khemraj notched up 16 Ones and 4 Twos. The Queen’s College students encouraged those sitting the examinations to remain steadfast and focus on achieving their goals. They all said that they will be moving on to CAPE.
Meanwhile, Headmaster of the Anna Regina Secondary, Lalljeet Rooplall, said he was happy with the students’ performance and noted that they continue to make the country proud. Regional Education Officer Shondelle Hercules said that the results were a direct consequence of government’s investment in improving the infrastructure in the region.
