Bequia Community High School on comeback trail

After a dismal performance in 2006, the Bequia Community High School rebounded with a 20% improvement this year in the CXC Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams.

This year, all of the eight boys and 13 girls who sat the examinations received at least one pass, a vast improvement from last year, when there were students who did not pass a single subject.{{more}}

Speaking to Searchlight on the phone from Bequia on Wednesday, principal Elaine Ollivierre said that although she was quite pleased with the performance of the students, she believed that they could have done better.

She said that she believed that the grade threes could have been twos or higher if the students had applied themselves more, and handed in their School Based Assessments (SBAs).

Ollivierre, who has been principal since 2001 after 30 years at the school, said that she hopes the results would encourage the upcoming bunch of students to excel when their time comes around.

She is also worried that the students would become satisfied with their accomplishments, and is urging them to never give less than their best.

The teacher of over 30 years suggested that hard work and a well rounded performance can help them in achieving greater things.

The school, located in Port Elizabeth, was one of the first in the country to become part of the education revolution, enrolling students who were not successful in the common entrance exams.

Three teenage mothers also wrote the exams this year, and received passes.

Cherian Gordon was the most successful student at the school, passing eight subjects including a grade one in Physical Education and Sports.

She also passed English A and B, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Principles of Business and Technical drawing.

Last year, she passed GCE English Language with a Grade A. (JJ)