The privately-run Comprehensive Learning Centre at North Hill is continuing to make a significant impact on education in Anguilla both for adults and children still at school.The institution’s tenth student award ceremony was held at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Saturday evening, December 15, at which many students and their relatives were in attendance.
Minister of Education, Edison Baird, told the graduating students that their achievement was not only a matter for themselves, but also for their families and the wider Anguillian community. “Your action of furthering your studies speaks volumes for who you are, and it shows that you are a group of persons that any country needs,” he said.
In congratulating the students on their success, Mr. Baird admonished them: “Let your education reach out of your mind and into your homes, into the churches, into the schools and into the community. Then the learning you have acquired at the Comprehensive Learning Centre would have the tremendous impact that I, am certain, the lecturers of this prestigious institution desire. May you go from strength to strength and be a beam of light for all to follow.”
The feature address was delivered by Reverend Lindsay K. Richardson who spoke on the theme: “Self Confidence – a Key to Success: Preparation – Your Path to Self Confidence.” He told the students that in order to succeed they needed to create within themselves a passion for success. “What is your passion?” he went on. “What do you want for yourself? Follow the path. It will lead you to the door where you will be able to use your key and proudly open many more doors of success. Each success builds your self-confidence … offering you more keys and opportunities to even greater success.”
Principal and Manager of the Comprehensive Learning Centre, Mrs. Sandra York-Gumbs, said that 127 students were tutored to write the Caribbean Examination Council CSEC examinations for the 2011-2012 academic year. Ninety students received Grades 1 to 3 for the CSEC Examinations with Sheslyn T. Gumbs receiving top honours. Sixteen students were tutored to write the CAPE Examinations. Fourteen were successful with Don Fleming receiving top honours.
The students pursued studies in nine CSEC and three CAPE subject areas under the Caribbean Examinations Council as well as the Self-Development Programmes. The Primary and Post-Primary Languages and Mathematics Programmes also attracted some fifty primary and comprehensive schoolchildren.
“Of the nine CSEC subjects undertaken by students at the Centre, 85% of the students were able to pass one or more subjects,” Mrs. York-Gumbs reported. “We saw 100% pass rate in EDPM (Electronic Document Preparation and Management) with seven of the twelve students obtaining Grade 1. Ten of the eleven students who wrote the Principles of Business exam, and eleven of the thirteen students who wrote the Social Studies examination, proved that they were competent in those subjects when they succeeded in passing.”
Mrs. York-Gumbs continued: “The CLC embarked on preparing its students to achieve the Associate Degree through the studying of the CAPE subjects offered by the CXC. We are pleased to announce that eleven of the thirteen students, who wrote their CAPE examinations, were successful in at least one of the subjects that they undertook. Economics Unit ll and Management of Business Unit ll saw 100% passes. While only one student each from the Management of Business Unit 1 and Sociology Unit 1 passed this course. These students are to be highly commended and we see Don Fleming standing at the top of the line with success in all three examinations undertaken. To all of you, students, congratulations for a job well done.
“The Personal and Professional Self-Development Course, the conversational French and Spanish Programmes and the Computer Applications Programme continue to be a well-executed programme.”
Mrs. York-Gumbs made the point that the CLC was making an indelible mark on the people of Anguilla. “We know that the CLC is realising its goals because we are contributors to changed lives,” she stated. “Our students continue to prove that the influence and capabilities of the CLC contribute to the foundation of an educated populace which directly improve the economic status of the learners and, by extension, our Anguillian community. We are proud of you, CLC’s awardees. Your educational journey can make Anguilla and the region a much better place.”
