By Sue-Ann Wayow
DESPITE the many learning challenges faced in 2020, pupils from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana have emerged as the most outstanding candidates in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) July/August 2020 examination overseen by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).
On Thursday, the candidates received their awards during a virtual regional Top Awards Ceremony, hosted by Antigua and Barbuda. CXC officials commended all winners on their achievements which took place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Queen’s College in Guyana also received the awards for both the Caribbean Education Secondary Certificate (CSEC) and CAPE School of the Year 2020.
In 2020, Zane Ramotar, of Queen’s College in Guyana, secured the annual Dennis Irvine Award, for the top overall student at the CAPE level. In addition to copping the top overall award, Zane also received the top award for Natural Sciences for his performance in Applied Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Integrated Mathematics, Physics and Pure Mathematics.
The other CAPE top awards were secured by T&T. The award for Most Outstanding Performance in Mathematics was won by Abdur-Rahman Mohammed of Naparima College. He achieved Grade I in all his subjects of Applied Mathematics, Physics, Pure Mathematics, Caribbean Studies and Communication Studies.
Xavier Joseph, of Presentation College, Chaguanas won the award for Most Outstanding Performance in Environmental Science.
Rhianna Ragoonanan, of Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College, excelled in the field of Humanities and will receive the Hodder Education-sponsored award for Most Outstanding Performance.
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) award for Most Outstanding Performance in Business Studies was copped by Anjali Maharaj, of Naparima Girls’ High School.
Kimberly Seerattan, of Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College, earned the award for Most Outstanding Performance for Language Studies.
For CSEC, CSEC’s Regional Top Award for 2020, is Bhedesh Persaud, of Queen’s College in Guyana. Bhedesh won the Overall Outstanding Performance Achievement award with 22 subjects at Grade I and 1 subject at Grade II. Bhedesh’s outstanding performance in Agricultural Science (Double Award), Biology, Chemistry, Integrated Science, Physics, Human and Social Biology and Additional Mathematics also earned him the top award in the category of Sciences.
Nyron Seoukienandan, of St Rose’s High School in Guyana, won the award for Most Outstanding Performance in Business Education.
In the area of Technical and Vocational studies, Anthony Sukra, of New Amsterdam Secondary School in Guyana, claimed the award for Most Outstanding Performance.
Shai-an Lee Wen, of St Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando, made her mark in 2020, winning the award for Most Outstanding Performance in the Humanities. Shai-an achieved Grade I in all of her subjects: Caribbean History, English B, French, Geography, Social Studies, Biology, English A and Mathematics.
In 2019, CXC introduced two new specialty awards in recognition of the work of three regional stalwarts in education. The winners in 2020 were Keziah Sealey-Liverpool, of St Augustine Girls’ High School, who won the Menezes-Rodney Award for Most Outstanding Performance in Caribbean History and Kenezia Baynes, of St Joseph’s Convent, Marriaqua in St Vincent and the Grenadines, who won the Professor Wilma Bailey Award for the Most Outstanding Performance in Geography.
There was a tie in 2020 for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) award for the Most Outstanding Performance in Principles of Accounts between Shania Sattaur, of Brickdam Secondary School in Guyana and Joe Wootten from Trinidad and Tobago.
Leoneal Mark, of Presentation Brothers’ College in Grenada also won the award for the Most Outstanding Performance by a male pupil in the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) examination.
The award for Most Outstanding Performance by a female pupil in the CCSLC examinations, was won by Mya Lake of Omololu International School in Anguilla.
The entire ceremony can be viewed at https://www.cxc.org/cxctv/.
