QC's CXC performance encouraging - headmistress

By Samantha Alleyne
Stabroek News
September 4, 1999


Headmistress of Queen's College, Wendell Roberts, has described the school's performance this year at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams as encouraging.

Roberts, in a brief interview with Stabroek News yesterday, said that the school has been doing well over the years, but that this year's performance was extremely good and the teachers were very happy about the students' achievements amidst many difficulties endured.

Two students, Amlata Persaud and Kevin Persaud, are vying for the top position in the country with 11 grade ones each. Added to this 11 other students notched up seven and more grade ones and there were 32 students with five and more grade ones.

Roberts revealed that out of the 1,091 subject entries submitted, 401 grade ones were obtained. The school registered 424 grade twos and 208 grade threes which gives it a pass rate of 94.8%.

Stabroek News was able to speak to five of the 11 students who scored seven and more grade ones. The baby among the set was 14-year-old Arvind Jagarnath who copped seven grade ones and one grade two. Jagarnath is the elder of two children and hails from Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara. He obtained his grade ones in English A and B, Integrated Science, Office Procedures, Principles of Business, Principles of Accounts and Social Studies and the grade two in French. The youngster who wants to be an accountant said that he would have to be content with going on to sixth form, since he was too young to be accepted at the University of Guyana or for the College of Accounting Technicians (CAT) course.

A former student of Meten-Meer-Zorg Primary, Jagarnath, like most students was full of praise for his parents.

Sixteen-year-old Rochelle Clarke scored grade ones in all the subjects Jagarnath did as well as Spanish. Both of these students gained grade ones in Mathematics last year.

Clarke said that she was astonished when she received her results since she did not expect to do so well, but added that she knew she had it in her. She plans to do something in the business field, but at the moment she intends to write the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). Clarke who resides in Republic Park and is the second of four children thanked both of her parents who are veterinarians and also her immediate family and neighbours.

Vashti Ramsukh, 16, copped ten grade ones comprising a double award in Agricultural Science along with Biology, Chemistry, English A and B, French, Mathematics, Physics and Social Studies. According to her she did a lot of studying on her own especially in Agricultural Science since their teachers left for jobs in Botswana. A budding doctor, Ramsukh hopes to leave Guyana in December for studies abroad. "My parents have been really, really supportive. They did not push me and my father has been the calm force behind me when I was feeling really nervous," the shy Ramsukh said. A former student of the Stella Maris Primary, Ramsukh also thanked all her teachers.

Another former Stella Maris Primary School student, Priscilla Chandra, 16, scored eight grade ones and two grade twos. She gained the ones in English A and B, History, Geography, Mathematics, French and Integrated Science and the grade twos were scored in Principles of Accounts and Spanish. However, this high achiever was not entirely satisfied with her results as, according to her, she could have done better. She will go on to the sixth form where she will begin her law programme since her ambition is to become a criminal lawyer.

Seventeen-year-old Fareez Khan also scored eight grade ones and two grade twos. Chemistry, Mathematics, English A and B, Biology, Physics and a double award in Agricultural Science were the grade one subjects, while Geography and French were the grade two subjects.

He said he expected to do well since his parents were really a driving force behind him. However, he said that he did little studying since he found that he would sometimes forget what he studied. He does not have a career choice as yet but will be going on to sixth form.

The other high achievers are Leeh Bovell who gained ten grade ones, Eshwar Thakurdin with nine grade ones, Shulin Fung who copped seven grade ones and three grade twos, Damon Fung Fook who scored eight grade ones, Shereze Adams who copped seven grade ones and one grade two, and Terrence Bhagwandin who secured seven grade ones and one grade two.


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