Acting Prime Minister and Attorney General, Freundel Stuart (seated left), poses with the top CXC students in the region. Seated at right is Chairman of CXC, Professor Nigel Harris. Standing at left is Deputy Chairman of CXC, Osmond Petty and at right is Pro-Registrar of CXC, Glenroy Cumberbatch.

“It is evident that the Caribbean has a future as a region and is in very good hands.”

This observation was made yesterday by acting Prime Minister and Attorney General, Freundel Stuart, during a courtesy call paid on him by the top Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) students from across the region, representatives of the Council and Ministry of Education officials.

The visit formed part of four days of activities for the awardees for outstanding performance in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) May/June 2008 examinations. 

Noting that persons from other parts of the world were “stunned” that a region as small as ours had produced three Nobel Laureates, Mr. Stuart told the students that having listened to their achievements, it was evident that there were future laureates in the making. 

“Genius is not something that comes unbidden, it is rooted in hard work. I am sure that as a result of the commitment to study through the still watches of the night, while your friends and contemporaries may have been doing other things, and husbanding your time wisely, that these achievements have come to you. I am sure that this will continue based on all that I have heard,” Mr. Stuart remarked. 

He added: “You make the Caribbean a place to be taken seriously. Those that have gone before laid a foundation which you obviously respect and on which you intend to build and we are proud of you, keep it up!”

The Most Outstanding Candidate Overall in the Region in the CSEC examinations was Yana-Marisa Edwards, a student of Queen’s College, Guyana. She achieved Grade I in 14 subjects and a Grade II in one subject. This is the third consecutive year that a student of Queen’s College, Guyana, has won the award.

Jordanna Deane of St. Joseph’s Convent, Trinidad and Tobago, was the Most Outstanding Performer in the CAPE. The first female and third student from Trinidad and Tobago to win the award, she achieved Grade I in 10 CAPE Units with all As in the Module grades.  

The CSEC and CAPE awards programme enables the CXC to promote greater public awareness of outstanding performances by students and encourages students across the region to strive for excellence in regional examinations.   

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