Region Six student tops CAPE

Aug 14, 2010 News

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Kibwey Peterkin

– pass rate declines from last year

The Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) results were unveiled yesterday and Eileen Marray of New Amsterdam Multilateral School was the most outstanding performer. The Region Six student secured Grade Ones in Five subject areas namely Caribbean Studies Unit 1, Communication Studies Unit 1, Accounting Unit 1, Economics Unit 1 and Management of Business Unit 2.
Other standouts were Rebecca Khan and Dinello Mahabir, both of Bishops’ High School, with four Grade Ones and One Grade Two; four from Queen’s College – Kibwey Peterkin, with four Grade Ones and one Grade Two; Yonette Streete with four Grade Ones; Yana-Marisa Edwards with four Grade Ones and Two Grade Twos and Kia Persaud with four Grade Ones and One Grade Two. Danielle Anthony of St Rose’s High School secured Grade One in four subject areas and a Grade Three.
Edwards and Persaud were exceptional performers at previous examinations.
CAPE 2010 saw an increase in candidate entries moving from 426 in 2009 to 474 from eight secondary schools and two private centres, according to the Minister. The 10 examination centres were President’s College in Region Four; New Amsterdam Multilateral, Berbice High and the New Amsterdam Adult Education Association, all in Region Six; Mackenzie High School in Region 10 and Georgetown.
There was a notable 1,799 subject entries up from last year’s 1,393. And though the pass rate (80.4 percent) was relatively high it did declined from 87.5 percent in 2009.

Candidates, according to Education Minister Shaik Baksh, were offered units in 24 subject areas with each unit comprising three modules (equivalent to 150 Credit Hours) that are separately examined and certified. Entries from Guyana were offered 34 units this year, Baksh added.
The results for CAPE are reported on a seven-point scale, Grades I-VII, and candidates attaining Grades I-V have attained an acceptable standard for matriculation purposes with Grade One representing an excellent performance and Grade Two to Three representing very good and good standards of performance respectively.
In the units of Environmental Science, Unit 1 and Unit 2, French Unit 1 and Unit 2, Geography Unit 2, Information Technology Unit 2, Literatures in English Unit 2, Spanish Unit 1, Sociology Unit 2 and Food and Nutrition Unit 1, candidates obtained a 100 percent pass rate with Grade One to Five passes. However, in 18 units – Accounting Unit 1, Biology Unit 2, History Unit 2, Communication Studies Unit 1, Caribbean Studies Unit 1, Chemistry Unit 2, Economics Unit 1, Information Technology Unit 1, Geography Unit 1, Law Unit 1 and Unit 2, Literatures of English Unit 1, Management of Business Unit 1 and Unit 2, Physics Unit 2, Pure Mathematics Unit 2, Sociology Unit and Computer Science Unit 2, candidates gained 75 percent or higher pass rates with Grade One to Five passes. In six units, candidates obtained a pass rate of 50 percent or higher (but below 75 percent) with Grade One to Five passes.
These units are: Applied Mathematics Unit 1, Biology Unit1, Chemistry Unit 1, Computer Science Unit 1, History Unit 1 and Physics Unit 1.
However, unsatisfactory performance was recorded in Pure Mathematics Unit 1 where the pass rate was below 50 percent.
According to Minister Baksh, it should be noted that Physics Unit 1 has shown further improvement from 44.4 percent in 2008, 58.33 percent in 2009 to 70.97 percent this year. Economics Unit 1 has also improved from 50 percent in 2009 to 96.23 percent at the recent sitting.
Meanwhile, the Minister revealed that it is expected that the results for the 2010 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) will be unveiled by next Friday.
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Eileen Marray – the Berbician teen who shone at CAPE

By Samuel Whyte

Eileen Marray of New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary School is the country’s top performer at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) for 2010.
The petite 18-year-old secured five grade ones in the five subjects she wrote for the CAPE part two this year.  Gaining Grade One in Accounting Unit 1, Economics Unit 1, Management of Business Unit 2, Communication Studies and Caribbean Studies.
Eileen is the youngest of three children, all girls, of popular New Amsterdam businessman Rohan Marray and Salina Marray, of 16 New Street New Amsterdam, owners of The Marray Pharmacy.
The outstanding student was overjoyed by the news, and admitted that she was finding it difficult to explain what the achievement meant to her. She had just received the news over the phone from the media.
“I am shocked, elated, happy, joyful… I just can’t express myself”, the young lady stated hesitatingly as she sat down for an interview with this newspaper.
Almost out of breath and holding her chest to regain her composure, she said that it was really too early to assess her true feelings.
“I had expected to do well, but to top the country… and all grade ones… wow, it hasn’t sunk in as yet, I really don’t know when it will!” she exclaimed.
Eileen, who like her sisters has been a high achiever throughout her school career, had seen success before, having gained three Grade Ones (Accounting Unit 2, Economics Unit 2 and Management of Business Unit 1) and a Grade Two (Law Unit 1) in the CAPE Unit 1 which she wrote last year.
In 2008, Eileen was again among the top students in the country this time it was at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination where she gained Grade Ones in all 12 of the subjects she wrote.
She had secured a place at Bishops’ High School when she wrote SSEE, but decided to attend New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary, because she wanted to be close to home and her two sisters were attending that school.
She said studying was difficult but enjoyable and now rewarding. Eileen had the syllabuses and the relevant text books which she obviously made optimum use of. During studies she had to give up a lot, especially when it came down to ‘crunch time’.
She had a time-table which she tried to adhere to as much as possible. Television viewing, idle time on the internet, and a few hours of sleep, were some of the things she gave up.
Eileen who is a devoted Christian and attends the Lutheran Church said she is very thankful to God, her parents (whom she said were very much at her side all the way), her two elder sisters who are at the University Of Guyana, her teachers, friends and other relatives for the assistance she received.
The extremely smart teen hasn’t decided on a definite career as yet but plans to attend University in September to pursue a degree in Business Management. She has already enrolled to start classes in the new semester.
The young woman who likes reading a lot (as a hobby) and being online, said that she is currently learning to play the guitar.
For the rest of the holidays, she plans to relax, be herself and let her newfound popularity soak in.
Her father, who is President of both the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the New Amsterdam Rotary Club, was as proud as any parent could be. He told Kaieteur News that he was expecting his daughter to do well, “because she has been a high flyer all the time”.
He did admit that his daughter topping the country with all grade ones was more than he bargained for.
“She really did us proud. Words cannot explain how happy I am right now. We were there for her all the way. We gave her all the support,” a beaming Rohan Marray said.
“I have no immediate plans right now, but she will be adequately rewarded in the near future.”
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School of the Nations records impressive ‘A’ levels results

Reflecting 100 percent pass rates in the subject areas of Environmental Management and Spanish, School of the Nations yesterday released its Cambridge University Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level examination results. One hundred and forty (143) students recently participated, writing a total of 460 examinations in 15 subject areas. The overall pass rate was 73 percent.
The pass rate for Chemistry, Computer Studies, Economics, Law and Psychology was 80 percent or above while in English Language, the pass rate was 92 percent. Over 35 percent of all examinations written were graded A, B or C.
Amongst the outstanding results: Geran Collymore (A in English, Psychology and Business and a C in Economics; Teshana Cox (A in Sociology, Law, Psychology and a C in English); Andrew Moses (A in Chemistry and Physics and B in Mathematics and Biology); Ricola Cummings (A in Psychology and Biology and a C in Chemistry); Vashti Baksh (A in Psychology and Sociology and a C in English); Ana Correia (A in Mathematics and Psychology, B in English Language and C in English Literature); Gabriella Edwards (A in Law and Psychology and a C in English Language); Sarina Kawall (A in Spanish, Environmental Management and a B in Psychology); Daniel Panday (A in Mathematics, B in Physics, Chemistry and Biology); Olly Perreira (A in Biology and Chemistry and B in Mathematics); Shaliya Rahaman (A in Business and B in Psychology and Economics); Lachman Tiwari (A in Chemistry and Mathematics and B in Physics); Leiann Van Lange (A in Psychology and Sociology and B in English Language); Christine Alves (A in Law, B in Sociology and C in Business); Teijka Chand (A in Sociology, B in Psychology and C in English Literature); Stacy Nardin (A in Law and B in Business); Karisia Oditt (A in Business, B in Law and C in Economics); Varsha Panday (A in Economics and B in English Language); Deje Dias (A in Psychology, B in Business and Economics); William Gopie (A in Chemistry, B in Mathematics and C in Biology); Stefan Wong (A in English and B in Economics) and Abbas Hamid (A in Sociology, B in Psychology and C in Literature).

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