QC holds CSEC, CAPE School of the Year for 2021
─ second time around
For years, Guyana’s premier secondary school- Queen’s College (QC) has been steadily churning out top Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) performers.
Now, QC is being regionally recognised as the CSEC and CAPE School of the Year for 2021. This is the second time that the school has been highly regarded as a powerhouse filled with potential policymakers ready to advance the country’s development.
However, this admirable feat is no news to Guyana and its people as government continues to put systems in place to further improve the education system, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 10, during the regional award ceremony, Zaynab Shaffie and Samuel Haynes, both of QC, walked away with the most outstanding overall award for CSEC and CAPE for 2021 respectively.
Roshni Samaroo and Serena Razak, also from QC copped the Humanities and Techincal Vocational awards, respectively. Naresh Jagnanan from the Essequibo Islands Secondary School, copped the top Business award.
Riley Dominique Nurse, another QC student and Saalih Muhammad Rahim from I.S.A Islamic School, both received the ACCA CSEC Accounting Award for Principles of Accounts.
Haynes was awarded the Dennis Irvine Prize for his outstanding performance in the CAPE examination which earned him nine Grade Ones. He had expressed satisfaction with his results and what it meant for him moving forward.
“I feel quite accomplished and humbled at this achievement. I would have never imagined myself on such a high pedestal, but I must give honour and thanks to God for having helped me to achieve this. I mean the top student in the Caribbean, that’s quite an achievement for Guyana, so I’m very happy that I could have brought home that award,” he told DPI.
For now, Haynes is planning to write the standardised test (SAT) administered by the College Board in the United States, in hopes to pursue a degree in dentistry.
CSEC top performer Shaffie thanked her support system which comprises her parents, extended family members, teachers and friends for pushing her to attain these grades. This achievement, she had explained was only made possible through hard work since there was a time when she was not one of the top performers.
In light of this, Shaffie urged aspiring students to “believe in yourself, formulate a plan and work towards it because you are capable of more than you think. You are never going to be entirely prepared or certain, but it is difficult decisions that enable us to set new targets for ourselves and fuel us to strive for more.”
Reflecting on the challenges made by the students, QC’s Principal Candaice Cave-Stephens said the examinations have caused many to make significant sacrifices to achieve their goals.
It is one, which she believes could only be attained through dedication and determination to know what one wants in life and strive for it. Cave-Stephens noted the role students’ support systems played to put themselves and the country ‘on the map.’
Established in 1844 by Bishop William Piercy Austin, Queen’s College was once considered an all-boys Anglican grammar school. This later changed to a co-ed in 1975. It became the top school to attend, as it has produced several extraordinary individuals like former Presidents- Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham, former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, and former West Indies cricketer Roger Harper, among others.