Saraswati Vidya Niketan CSEC Report 2019

An Outstanding Year for SVN’s Students

• October 6, 2019
• Posted By : svn_webadmin
• Comments Off on An Outstanding Year for SVN’s Students

CSEC results 2019 were released by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday 14^th August last.  A total number of 11,467 Guyanese students wrote the examinations.

Having reviewed the results, I am happy to provide you with a general overview of the performance of our students. All together a maximum of 86 (30 males and 56 females) students sat the examinations. The number of subjects offered was 20, with 19 as the highest number taken by any student. As was the case in 2018, we allowed one student to repeat 2 subjects which we have excluded from the review. The following observations are noted:

SVN, as is well-known by now, has an open admission policy.  We admit students regardless of their NGSA scores. The average NGSA (Common Entrance) score – with a range from 338 to 525 – for this batch of 2019 is 468. On the other hand, the average for the senior government secondary schools for the same period of admission ranges from 500 to 525.

The overall pass rate – students with grades 1 to 3 – this year is 95.80%, showing an increase over 2018 and 2017 with pass rates of 90.12 % and 86.47% respectively.

The matriculation rate – students passing with five subjects and more with English and Mathematics is at the highest level in our school’s history: 78 out of 86, or 90.70%.  In fact, 75 gained 10 subjects and more with English and Mathematics.

Table showing overall pass and matriculation rates 2014-2019

In nine subject areas – (1) Additional Mathematics, (2) Agricultural Science, (3) Biology, (4) EDPM, (5) Human and Social Biology, (6) Information Technology (7) Integrated Science, (8) Office Administration and (9) Principles of Business – our students scored 100% passes.

In two areas, Economics and Spanish, our performance fell marginally. Economics fell from 100% in 2018 to 97.50% while Spanish fell from 83.33% to 80.00%.

In every other subject the quality of our students’ performance has increased, in many cases quite dramatically. Grade 1 Passes in Agriculture Science moved from 35.59% to 64.912%, Biology 50% to 66.67%, Chemistry 16.67% to 33.33%, Economics 12.12% to 20.00%, English Language 28.92% to 60.47%, Geography 7.14% to 23.75%, Information Technology 63.86% to 80.23%, Integrated Science 16.98% to 37.74%, Office Administration 45.45% to 86.96%, Physics from 10.00% to 36.36%, Principles of Accounts from 20.93% to 39.68%, Principles of Business 72.13% to 93.42%, and Social Studies 7.50% to 26.58%.

The Ministry of Education, as usual publishes two lists, a larger one consisting of the 251 students who secured grade ones in 8 subjects and more.  This year the distribution is as follows. (1) QC 57, (2) SVN 29, (3) Bishops 24, (4) St. Stanislaus 15, and (5) West Demerara Secondary 12.

Out of this larger list, there is a shorter list of 55 students with 12 grade ones and more distributed as follows: (1) QC 24, (2) SVN 9, (3) Anna Regina 5, (4) St. Stanislaus 2, and (5) J.C. Chandisingh 2.  The remaining schools in this list have 1 student each.

SVN TOP STUDENTS 2019

In this batch of 86 SVN students there are 17 who had 500 and more marks at the Common Entrance examinations, of whom two (2) qualified to attend QC and three (3) Bishop’s High.  As might be expected all our top performers are from this group.

At the other end of this group five (5) entered SVN with Common Entrance scores ranging from 338 to 417, of whom four (4) matriculated with 7 to 11 subjects.  One student in this group failed to matriculate having failed both in English Language and Mathematics

Note:

Rise in Grade 1 Passes: From 299 to 518

You will recall that last year we had recorded one of our lowest Grade one passes at SVN, 29.63%, which had a direct impact of the overall performance of students. From 2013 to 2018, our grade one percentage has dropped from 40.8% to 29.63%.  We are delighted to report that in 2019, with hard work from our teachers and students, we recorded one of our highest Grade one passes of 518 or 45.35 %.

Areas of concern

While it is important to keep the momentum in the overall performance in those subject areas in which we have excelled, there are three subjects in which our grade one passes are in the single digits – Additional Mathematics 9.09%, History 5.56% and English Literature 6.98% even though the overall passes in grades 1 to 3 have improved over the 2018 performances.

Values Make the Difference

We all agree on the importance of excellence in education.  Parents, teachers and pupils all have this aspiration.  At the same time SVN must have a steadfast focus on values which contribute to the formation and nurturing of human character.  It is for this reason that there are daily discourses on our ancient subhahsitas taken from the Mahabharata, Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, Nitishataka, and Chanakya Niti etc. 

The last one discussed before the closure of the current school year was the verse on the ten marks of dharma taken from the Manu Smriti: dhriti – endurance and fortitude, kshama – forgiveness, compassion and patience, damah – control of our organs of action, asteya – non-stealing, shaucham – internal and external cleanliness and putity, indriya nigraha – control of our senses, dhi – wisdom, vidya – knowledge, satyam – truth and akrodha – absence of malice, hate and anger. We strongly believe that it is these and other such universal values which make the difference at SVN.

Importantly also, we impress on both students and teachers that education is a collaborative endeavour, an idea taken from the great sa ha naavavatu Vedic mantra which speaks of both teacher and student learning and growing together in mutual trust and confidence in an environment free from fear.

Special Commendation:

SVN’s Manoj Latchman who wrote the exams at 14 years of age, securing 17 grade ones including 14 distinctions and a grade 2, is the youngest student ever in Guyana to have achieved such a spectacular result.