The top 25 national performers in this year’s Primary School Examinations (PSE), and those from the Belize District who also performed outstandingly, were honored at an award ceremony which was hosted by the Ministry of Education today at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City.
Although the overall results remain unimpressive, the top scorers were highlighted for their hard work and their stellar performances with all the necessary pomp and circumstance, while their schools were also recognized for the equally commendable achievements of molding those students into the top ranking primary schoolers across the country.
It serves as a reminder that all is not lost, and according to Education Minister Patrick Faber, there remains a need for all stakeholders to do their part to improve the education system in Belize, but he stressed that that process needs to start with trained teachers.
He said, “We can see when we are playing our part in education by looking at today’s top awardee, Mr. Ashton Tillett, who is from Crooked Tree. Mr. Tillett comes from Crooked Tree Government School, [and] one of the points that came across was the importance to have trained teachers. What Crooked Tree [Government School] has done, and is doing with respect to ensuring that it has trained teachers, is a testament to the push we have been making in the Ministry to have all our teachers trained.”
In accepting the award, Tillett – who attained the highest score in the country – addressed the audience with a powerful, motivational speech.
He stated, “The amazing accomplishment has strengthened me spiritually, emotionally and physically. Throughout my school years, I have devoted myself to studying, which was accompanied by the help of my dedicated teachers, God, my family and other distinguished supporters. I studied hard, listened to my teachers, prayed and set my goal for excellence, but I did not know that I would be the top PSE performer. This is a great accomplishment, of which I am proud. For me, this is just the beginning. I know that there will be new faces, new challenges and new mountains [and] I pledge that I will always keep on climbing to achieve even higher in the future.”
Tillett, who told us that he was surprised to win the award, explained that his success derives from dedication, focus and countless hours of studying.
He plans to enroll at Edward P. Yorke High School in Belize City, along with Kenyah Hyde of the Bernice Yorke Institute of Learning, who tied with Andres Hung from Our Lady of the Way Guadalupe RC School in Cayo for the second highest score nationwide.
Sporting a cheerful personality, Hyde told Amandala that while she had been making a determined effort to excel by studying diligently, she did not expect to do so well.
“I was still in shock when I got the news”, she declared, adding that before sitting any exams, she prays to compose herself and retain what she has studied.
She thanked God, her parents, her teachers and friends for their continued support while providing advice for other students who will be sitting the exam next year.
Hyde stated, “All you have to do is study, that’s it. But make sure that when you are studying, you retain what you study and don’t memorize.”
Faber – who was optimistic about this year’s results – told us that all things considered, education is everybody’s business and the time has come to move forward.
“We are excited about the results because we see a different mix coming up this year … we have been saying all along that education is everybody’s business, that schools should take ownership for the issues that arise, and not sit and wait for the Ministry, or any other entity for that matter, to come in and prescribe a one-size-fits-all approach to help in the problems that are happening in schools”, he suggested.
He conceded that improving the quality of education – of which examination performance is seen as a reflection – is a “long game” which will not happen overnight and requires sustained attention since “things have improved slightly in the past few years.”
The PSE results, which were released two weeks ago, showed that Math and English continue to confound a large amount of students; however, Faber mentioned that his Ministry is concluding negotiations with the Inter-American Development Bank to fund a Teacher Education Improvement Project which, he said, will directly impact the future results, not just for the PSE, but for overall student performance.
The top performers received various gifts, including tuition and book scholarships to the schools of their choice.
Separate regional ceremonies will take place tomorrow, Thursday, in the west, north and south of the country.