CAPE in Region Two being offered for first time at Anna Regina Secondary

Secondary school students along the Essequibo Coast and the Pomeroon will no longer have to
leave their homes to travel to Georgetown to write their Caribbean Advanced Proficiency
Examinations (CAPE).
This is because the Anna Regina Secondary School has become the first in Pomeroon-Supenaam
(Region Two) to offer CAPE subjects to students who have completed the Caribbean Secondary
Examination Certificate (CSEC). Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, travelled to the
region on Friday to officially launch the progamme at the school.

Manickchand said the move is in keeping with the government’s vision of ensuring every child
across the length and breadth of Guyana, has access to education. “We are moving closer and
closer to universal secondary education. That means that children all across the country could
access a secondary school, but even as we work for access to secondary education, we know we
have the ability to simultaneously expand what we are doing at the secondary schools, and so
today, it gives me great pleasure to commission a CAPE or sixth form school, a Grade 12 school
at the Anna Regina Multilateral, which is the first of its kind in Region Two,” she explained.
The minister noted that currently, there are five students enrolled in the classes. The subjects
being offered are Integrated Mathematics, Communication Studies, Biology, Chemistry and
Physics. She said teachers who will be conducting the classes have been adequately trained. “I
want to say very clearly, that the teachers are trained…These are teachers who are capable of
teaching these particular subjects, science subjects in this case. We have labs, we have material,
we have chemicals, we have reagents, we have classrooms, we have the facilities that allow these
children to have a quality experience here,” she disclosed.
Being quoted by the media, the students were excited to be able to continue their studies without
having to leave their homes. Tiffany Budhram said before it was announced that CAPE subjects
will be offered in the region, she had not considered writing the exams. However, she said she
was excited to further her studies. Her father, Rabinauth Budhram said he was happy with the
decision to have the subjects offered within the region as he was not comfortable sending his
teenage daughter all the way to Georgetown to complete her studies. “I feel very much secure
having her and having CAPE being done right here in Region Two…I think it was long overdue
at the Anna Regina Secondary, and of course, I am quite elated for it to hapen, as it has, this
year.”
The teachers at Anna Regina Secondary have assured that they will put their efforts towards
ensuring the students receive quality education. Next week, Manickchand will be launching the
programme at the West Demerara.