Anguilla has come away with a high measure of praise and pride from hosting the 44th Governance Meetings of the Caribbean Examinations Council, as well as the ceremony for the presentation of awards to a number of top regional students.
The CXC officials and students were in Anguilla for a few days before the actual commencement of the events, giving them a welcome opportunity to familiarise themselves with the tourism delights of the island. They were accommodated at Viceroy and CuisinArt Resort and Spa, two of Anguilla’s leading hotels. Apart from sampling accommodation at its best on the island, they were taken on a tour of various places and learned much about the island’s historical and cultural life.
The opening ceremony for the Council and the presentation of awards for outstanding performances in the May/June 2012 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations were held at the Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium on Thursday, December 6.
During his welcome remarks, Dr.Didacus Jules, Registrar of the Caribbean Examinations Council, spoke in glowing terms and appreciation of the high level of accommodation they were afforded by the Anguilla Government, through the Ministry of Education. He also praised the Ministry’s arrangements for the CXC events which were held on the island for the first time.
Speaking with representatives of the media houses later, Dr. Jules said that Anguilla’s hosting of the CXC Council’s events was a very tall order for another island to follow.
“The level of hospitality and the arrangements made for Council, for every detail of the operation, was exemplary and surpassed the expectations of all delegates,” he said. “We are truly grateful to the Government of Anguilla and the Ministry of Education for their support. I have to acknowledge, as I did at the my opening remarks, the role played by Mrs. Petty-Barrett, who is our Deputy Chair of Council, on her insistence that we have this meeting in Anguilla, and the calibre of the arrangements made.”
In welcoming the CXC officials and students to Anguilla, Minister of Social Development and Education, Edison Baird, took the opportunity to showcase Anguilla as an attractive tourist destination. “While as Caribbean countries we have many similarities, I am sure you will agree with me that each country is unique in its own right,” he stated. “Here in Anguilla you will find that the coastline is breathtakingly beautiful, sailing is a way of life; the sand is a little whiter; the water a little clearer; the lobsters a lot bigger; the sun shines brighter and everyone greets you with a smile. Heaven is only a ferry ride away from St. Martin.
“We welcome you to our beautiful shores; and to those of you who inexplicably have never been here before, we will overlook this temporarily as now that you have had a taste of Anguilla, we are confident that this will not be your last visit.
“The opportunity to host these meetings for the first time, is important for Anguilla. Not only does it provide a much-needed boost to our current sluggish tourism-based economy, but it is also history-making for us and provides the Anguillian community, and especially the teaching fraternity, greater exposure to the work of CXC. I believe that hosting this event signifies that Anguilla, though small, has an equally-important voice in the regional dialogue on education as any other country in the region.”
The opening ceremony gave the visitors an opportunity to witness some of the island’s cultural performances. The presentations included drama by the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School’s Drama Group; a dance by the Klassique Academy of Dance; a medley of folk songs and songs of the Anguilla Revolution by the School’s Choir; dance and drama by the All Ah We Young Theatre Players; and musical renditions by the School’s Concert Band and Steel Orchestra.
The opening ceremony was followed by the 44th meeting of the CXC held at CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa on Friday, December 7. The 41st meeting of the School Examinations Committee took place the day before under the Chairmanship of Professor E. Nigel Harris, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies.
