In what was indeed a historic event, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) held its Award Ceremony for Outstanding Performance in the July/August 2020 examinations via an online simulcast, streamed on cxc.org/cxctv, on Thursday, 2nd June 2021.
Antigua and Barbuda served as the host country to this year’s award ceremony, which recognized and celebrated the Caribbean’s top sixteen (16) awardees at the CXC 2020 examinations, eight (8) of whom came from Trinidad and Tobago.
Three (3) Trinidad and Tobago students topped the region in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations and five (5) at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) with exceptional performances.
T&T’s awardees for CSEC were:
• Shai-an Lee Wen, St. Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando, Most Outstanding in Humanities
• Joe David Wootten, Private Candidate, Most Outstanding in Principles of Accounts(ACCA Award)
• Keziah Sealey – Liverpool, St. Augustine Girls’ High School- Most Outstanding in History (University of Guyana Menzes-Rodney Award)
T&T’s CAPE awardees were:
• Rhianna Ragoonanan , Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College, Most Outstanding in Humanities (Holder Education Award)
• Anjali Maharaj, Naparima Girls’ High School, Most Outstanding in Business Studies (ACCA Award)
• Xavier Joseph Presentation College, Chaguanas, Most Outstanding in Environmental Science
• Kimberly Seerattan, Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College, Most Outstanding in Language Studies
• Abdur Rahman- Mohammed; Naparima College (Boys), Most Outstanding in Mathematics (RM Award)
The annual CXC Award Ceremony is a very prestigious event; students would usually be flown to the host country to receive their awards in person. This year, however, the prevailing circumstances forced an innovative approach where all the students, parents, principals, teachers, award sponsors and officials from CXC participated virtually. While different, the format in no way took away from the prominence of the event, which was attended by their Excellencies Sir Rodney Williams, Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda and Lady Williams, members of the host country’s Diplomatic Corps, and several government officials.
Antigua & Barbuda’s Prime Minster, the Honourable Gaston Browne, delivered the feature address and stressed the need for the Caribbean Region to build an education system that adequately responds to the needs of modern economies by giving students the tools to succeed at all levels of their educational pursuits. He said the days for chalk and talk are long gone, “the use of computer technology and the integration of machine learning within the classroom and indeed the wider society must a critical element in our education system.”. Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Education, Sports and the Creative Arts, the Honourable Darryl Matthews, CXC Registrar, Dr. Wayne Wesley and CXC Chairman, Sir Hilary Beckles also delivered remarks at the ceremony.
Dr. the Honourable, Nyan Gadsby Dolly, Minister of Education, in extending congratulations to the eight (8) top CSEC & CAPE performers said, “I am overjoyed by the accomplishments of the students of Trinidad and Tobago. Surmounting the obstacles presented by COVID-19 and today, being able to achieve the highest number of outstanding awards within the region is no minor achievement. I am grateful to the students, parents and teachers who have gone above and beyond to ensure success. I extend my heartiest congratulations to our eight (8) awardees and to those who have excelled across the Caribbean”.
The awards for both CSEC and CAPE School of the Year 2020 went to Queen’s College of Guyana, while the Dennis Irvine Award for the top overall student at CAPE and the Overall Outstanding Performance Achievement at CSEC, as well as the Most Outstanding Performance in Natural Sciences for CAPE and CSEC was won by Guyana. CXC also recognized the top male and female students, and these awards went to Leoneal Mark from Grenada and Mya Lake from Anguilla respectively, in the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) examination.
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