Top ranking

Barbados’ education system has been named one of the best in the world.

 

Deputy-Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr Marcia Potter, highlighted the country’s achievement and took the opportunity to congratulate Minister of Education, the Hon. Ronald Jones, during the Opening Ceremony of the 48th Meeting of CXC and the presentation of awards for Outstanding Performances in the May/June 2016 Examinations.

 

“This is a significant achievement for Barbados and for all of us as a region,” she told the educators, revealing that Barbados placed ninth, tying with Japan and New Zealand. Topping the ranking were Finland, Switzerland, Belgium, Singapore, Netherlands, Qatar, Ireland and Estonia.

 

The ranking comes from the World Economic Forum “Global Competitiveness Report” on the state of the world’s economies.

 

“You will notice that none of the top countries which we normally hear about made it to the top,” Dr Potter pointed out, as neither the United States nor the United Kingdom made it into the top 11.

 

According to the report, the Barbados government has invested heavily in education, resulting in a literacy rate of 98%, one of the highest in the world.

 

The ceremony held at Hilton Barbados Resort on Thursday night awarded the Most Outstanding Candidate Overall, and outstanding performance in Humanities, Sciences, Business Education, Technical/Vocational Education, Best Short Story, Best Visual Arts, 2 – Dimensional and Best Visual Arts 3-Dimensional.

 

Most Outstanding Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) candidate, Varna Thomas of Adrenne High School, Jamaica, received the Dennis Irvine Award, the prize for the Most Outstanding Candidate overall. She achieved Grade 1 in 12 Units all with A’s on the Module grades.

 

The Most Outstanding Candidate Overall in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and Most Outstanding Candidate in Sciences was Kayshav Tewari of Queen’s College, Guyana. Kayshav achieved Grade I in 19 subjects.

 

This year, CXC introduced the first regional awards for outstanding performance in the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC). Keiana Brown, a student of Northeast Comprehensive School in Dominica and Jason Philip from Presentation Brothers College, Grenada – were the CCSLC top awardees.

 

Dr Potter also congratulated all 16 awardees, whom she described as “delightful” and as “normal young people”.

 

“Often one hears that they cannot possibly lead normal lives to have achieved what they did at the CSEC or CAPE levels, for example having passes up to 19 subjects in just one sitting…But believe me, they are normal young people,” she indicated.

 

“When you listen to them it gives hope that we are in good hands, despite the gloom and doom we often hear about the young generation today…I want to wish them success in all of their endeavours. May they continue to excel and make their families, countries and this entire region proud.” (TL)