St Augustine Girls' High School has been awarded the highest number of open scholarships in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (Cape), according to results given yesterday by Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh.Speaking at yesterday's post-cabinet media briefing, at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, Gopeesingh also singled out for comment Hillview College, Tunapuna; Holy Faith Convent, Couva; and St Joseph's Convent, Port-of-Spain as top achieving schools.Gopeesingh said the President's Medal Award winners–Abhinav Karan of Presentation College, Chaguanas and Shelmiah Peterkin of St Joseph's Convent, St Joseph–were announced last week by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
According to the CXC Examining Board's results, Gopeesingh said, 93 per cent of students obtaining scholarship places received grades One to Five and 66 per cent received Grades One to Three.This year, Gopeesingh said, 40 out of the 134 secondary schools were awarded scholarships.Out of those 40, 11 government secondary schools have been awarded scholarships, Gopeesingh said, adding this was a further improvement over last year's results where three government secondary schools received scholarships."It means the government secondary schools are doing better and better and this augurs well for T&T's education system," he said.Gopeesingh said a larger number of students have been able to get scholarships since government increased the number of scholarships from 376 in 2012 to 428 this year."This is due to an improvement in academic performance by Cape students. We've moved from approximately 86 per cent of students achieving Grades One to Five in Cape to approximately 93 per cent receiving Grades One to Five," Gopeesingh added."Out of the 3,500 students who write Cape, we're now giving out 428 scholarships, close to about 12 per cent students–receiving open or additional scholarships. We've ensured the amount of scholarships offered is commensurate with the improvement in students' performance," he said.
The increases in scholarships come at a cost of approximately $58 million per year, he said.He said 162 more students have been able to get scholarships thanks to an increase in places over the years since 2009.Gopeesingh said over the four years the People's Partnership administration has awarded 1,487 scholarships: 272 open and 1,215 additional scholarships.He said scholarships have been awarded in a large number of subjects including business, general studies, mathematics, technical and modern studies.On other matters Gopeesingh said he was disappointed he has not yet received the report of the probe into the leak of SEA exam results.He said the Marabella primary school which didn't open on time for the new term, is now open after $600,000 worth of repairs. Aranguez Primary School is almost completed too, he said.
CAPE SCHOLS 2013
Asja Boys' College–3 Additional
Asja Girls' College–1 Open, 13 Additional.
Asja Boys Charlieville–1 Additional.
Arima Central –1 Additional.
Barrackpore Government Secondary–2 Additional.
Bishop Anstey Trinity East–14 Additional.
Bishop Anstey–1 Open, 15 Additional.
Bishop's Tobago–2 Additional.
Couva East Secondary –5 Additional.
Fatima College- 2 Open, 6 Additional.
Fyzabad Anglican–1 Additional.
Hillview College–3 Open, 28 Additional.
Holy Faith Convent , Couva–3 Open, 21 Additional.
Holy Faith Convent , Penal–1 Open, 8 Additional.
Holy Name Convent, Port of Spain –1 Open, 8 Additional.
Iere High School–4 Additional.
Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College–3 Open, 11 Additional.
Marabella Secondary–1 Additional.
Naparima Boys' College–6 Open, 25 Additional.
Naparima Girls' College–4 Open, 36 Additional.
North Eastern College–3 Additional.
Presentation College, Chaguanas–4 Open, 23 Additional.
Presentation College, San Fernando–1 Open, 12 Additional.
Queen's Royal College–1 Open, 3 Additional.
Rio Claro West–1 Additional.
San Fernando Secondary Central–2 Additional.
Shiva Boys' Hindu College- 1 Additional.
St Augustine Girls' High School–18 Open, 19 Additional.
St George's College–1 Open , 6 Additional.
St Joseph's Convent, Port of Spain–13 Open, 26 Additional.
St Joseph's Convent, San Fernando –1 Open, 3 Additional.
St Joseph's Convent, St Joseph–5 Open, 14 Additional.
St Stephen's College–1 Open, 3 Additional
St Anthony's College –1 Additional.
St Francois' College–5 Additional.
St Mary's College- 15 Additional.
Upper Level–1 Additional.
Vishnu Boys' Hindu College–2 Additional.
Waterloo Secondary–2 Additional.