Queen’s College, Anna Regina Secondary dominate CSEC

…over 600 students receive zero passes

By Rupadai Seenaraine

Sixteen-year-old Christian Pile of Queen’s College has been named Guyana’s top performer at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) examinations for securing a remarkable 19 grade ones at the examination sat earlier this year.
In an interview with Guyana Times on Friday, Pile indicated that he was surprised at the results, but said he was somewhat certain that he would have excelled. Plans for the aspiring orthodontist include attending sixth form this year.
Smiling widely, Pile indicated that he was filled with joy and pride at his achievement. He added, “I was really happy, overjoyed (and) really proud of myself. I knew I would have done really well at the exams, I just didn’t know that I would be the top student. My mom, she was really the driving force: she inspired

me; she built my confidence; she made me know that I had the ability to do great things; so, basically, she told me why not try to challenge yourself?”
Balancing his time was one of the most important aspects of this successful outcome, and Pile explained that some of it included lessons and numerous hours of studying.
“In preparation for my CSEC exams, I had extra lessons in the morning (and) in the afternoon. I had numerous hours of studying. Sometimes these ran early into the morning, around two or three. I also had to ensure I completed all of my SBAs (School-Based Assessments) on time, so that I would have adequate time to study. It really involved a lot of planning, time management, and organization,” he explained.
Christian Pile’s mother, teacher Fayann Simpson-Pile, shared some advice for parents whose children will be sitting the examination in the following academic year: “You will have to be there. Physical presence was important. I know all parents are not teachers. Some parents are very busy, but it’s important that, in some way, you make your presence felt and encourage your child to believe in

himself; because, once you do, then 85 percent of the work is completed.”
Among the top performers are Shakira Bholo of Anna Regina Multilateral; Salma Majeed of ISA Islamic Academy; Areeb Ali of Queen’s College; Cemecia de la Cruz of Anna Regina Multilateral; and Haema Dasrath, Aarti Hooblall, Reseda Hack, Leshanna Binda and Yashoda Samaroo of Queen’s College.
Shakira Bholo of Cotton Field, Essequibo Coast, (Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam) copped the second position in the country with 18 grade ones and two grade twos. She related to this publication that she was very excited about her success, giving God praise for her ability and thanking her supportive parents. Bholo, who attended the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School, is planning to follow a career as an economist.
In fourth place, Areeb Ali noted, “I just wanted to attempt something kinda big, and it’s just one chance you get to write CSEC, so I just did a good amount. I’d like to thank Allah, because my success is only by him; (I also want to thank) my parents, sisters, teachers and friends.”
Meanwhile, Camecia De La Cruz of the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School was able to capture the second place for Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and fifth in the country. De La Cruz said her parents were the main

reason for her success, as were the teachers of the institution.
Aarti Hooblall of Queen’s College explained that she was anxious to collect the results, and was quite surprised at what she read. She next plans to pursue law at sixth form.
“The anxiety to get the results was quite intense. I was trying for like hours, and it was just relief (when I finally succeeded). It was happiness!” she exclaimed.
Reseda Hack explained that she was grateful for what she’d achieved, noting, “I was just thankful. There were a lot of nights without sleep; a lot of lessons, and a lot of time spent behind my books, in order to ensure that I was prepared.”
Another top performer, Yashoda Samaroo, stated, “I was very overjoyed. My hard work actually paid off, and I want to become a lawyer.”
The announcement of the results was officially made on Friday at the National Centre for Education Resource Development, in the company of Education Minister Nicolette Henry, Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson, and other Education Ministry officials.
During that time, Hutson informed that more than 600 students had received zero

passes at the examination for public schools only. This means that they were unable to secure any grade. He was, however, unable to address where the disparity lies, but further related that the matter will be addressed.
It was also disclosed that an overall pass rate in Mathematics and English improved when compared to last year’s statistics. English Language saw a pass rate of 64.14 percent when compared to 57.99 percent in 2017, while Mathematics improved with a pass rate of 43.39 percent when compared to 39.23 percent last year.
Apart from these numbers, there were also increased pass rates in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, while Agricultural Science showed declining statistics.
Improved performances were recorded in the business subjects, especially in

Office Administration, Principles of Business, Accounts, and Electric Documentation Preparation and Management. Industrial Technology Building, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering all secured passes of over 85 percent.
This year, some 12,266 candidates were registered to sit the examinations, which shows a decline when compared to 12,684 candidates in 2017. (Additional reporting by Mohanlall Seulall)