Anguilla is proud of the success of its students in the recent examinations. The Ministry of Education, which is also pleased with the students’ performance, has issued a statement to The Anguillian expressing congratulations to them, their teachers, and parents, for the supportive roles they played.
Following is that statement from the Ministry:
“The Ministry of Education congratulates students of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School on their success in the May/ June 2016 CXC examinations. As a comprehensive school, the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School caters to the needs of a wide range of students with different interests, talents and abilities. The school’s curriculum is, therefore, quite diverse to ensure that it serves its student body effectively. Students have the opportunity to sit examinations in a cross section of areas in keeping with their interests, career goals and an ever changing technological world.
“Colin Powell, a retired four-star general in the US Army and the 65th United States Secretary of State said: “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” The preparation and hard work of students certainly paid off. For that, they must be commended. Thanks and appreciation are extended to their teachers for their efforts in preparing the students for the examinations and to parents, extended family, friends and the wider community for their support which would have been integral to the students’ success. The students at the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School performed creditably by any standard and particularly when one considers the limited available resources.
“There were 657 students who entered for the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) in the areas of English, Math, Social Studies, Science, French and Spanish. 79% of the subject entries achieved competence or mastery. Students performed well in English and Social Studies in particular, with 96% of entries achieving competence or mastery.
“With regard to the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC), 170 students wrote the examinations in 32 subject areas offered at the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School, just one short of the entire suite of CXC examinations offered at CSEC. The overall success rate for the examinations was high with 80% of subject entries receiving passing grades. Worthy of note, is that in twenty four of the subject areas examined, there was a success rate of 75% and above, with ten of those subjects having 100% passes. In only one subject area did the percentage of passes dip below 50%. The Ministry is heartened that 60% of the students examined passed four or more subjects and 54% passed five or more subjects. This is an indication that more than half of the students have the foundation necessary for the world of work and to move on to higher education. Many others, whose performances were less stellar, still have the building blocks for educational advancement should they desire to follow this path. However, there is still much to be done to improve student achievement and to provide additional avenues for the advancement of all students.
“Performance in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) was also noteworthy. There was an overall success rate of 85% for all subject entries. In 28 of the 48 Units examined, there were 100% passes. In only 3 of those units were there less than 50% passes. The Ministry is pleased with the efforts of the 121 students who sat the CAPE examinations. The 6th Form CAPE programme is an excellent stepping stone for students wishing to pursue higher education. With CAPE Units and/ or the CAPE Associate Degree, students are much better placed for college acceptance. They can also earn college credits and reduce the time and money spent on college education. Although challenging at times, students who successfully complete the programme greatly benefit from the advantages the qualifications and experience provide.
“The Ministry of Education encourages those students who may not have performed as well as they would have liked in their examinations, to continue to press ahead. Use this as a learning experience and remember this is only a temporary setback. If you are truly committed to continuing your education there are many avenues available to ensure your success; pursue them relentlessly.
“The Ministry of Education will continue in its efforts to provide all students with an education suited to their aptitude and personal aspirations. We are grateful for all our partners in this endeavour: the Principal, Senior Management Team and Staff of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School, parents, families, community and faith based organisations, business partners and many more who believe in investing in our students and who contribute their time, expertise and finances to support education development. While criticism is easy, the true measure of a person’s interest is how much they are willing to invest in being part of the solution. Our partners have proven time and again that they have invested in education and, for that, we are grateful.”
