7 News Belize

Awarding Excellence In PSE
posted (June 26, 2013)
We've dealt with the poor performance of the primary school students who took the PSE in 2013, and we've gone looking for answers from most of the stakeholders involved.

So, tonight we take a break from the bad news about the exam, and we focus on those students who performed excellently on it.

They were recognized in a ceremony at the Bliss today, and 7News attended. Here's what they told us:




Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education
"Well it's always good to encourage those top performers as well, they will no doubt go on to high school and do well. In fact the 26 of them are recieving scholarship grants for the four years that they'll be in high school and also book grants. We'd have to cap the award in any one year to a thousand dollars. You know some schools are really way up now so for the 26 of them now they get up to $1,000 grant per year for four years and they will also receive $300 book grant for their four years of high school. They will no doubt succeed and they will probably be leaders so it is good to nurture them to become the leaders and torch bearers if you will, for academic excellency."





Jennessa Sierra - Top Performer, PSE
"I feel honored, I never thought I would do so well, I knew I would do well but not this well. I feel good."

Daniel Ortiz
"Where were you when you first heard your results?"

Jennessa Sierra
"I was at my house, I was sick that day and I couldn't go to get my results so my teacher came to my house and explained how well I did and I was shocked and then I went upstairs to tell the good news to my mom when a reporter called my mom and she told me that I was just in time to be interviewed for the local newspaper at San Pedro."

Daniel Ortiz
"Which high school do you want to go to from here?"

Jenessa Sierra
"I'm going to the local high school, San Pedro High but I'm attending St. John's College when I finish my studies in San Pedro."

Daniel Ortiz
"Do you have an idea of what you want to be in the future?"

Jennessa Sierra
"Something in Science or Biology but I want to be a doctor as well."

Iani Adolphus - Top Performer, PSE
"I'm very proud and honored to be here today because not many kids got this chance to come to this ceremony so I feel good about myself."

Daniel Ortiz
"Were you nervous when you first took the exam?"

Iani Adolphus
"Very nervous because I heard a lot of different stories about the exam but when I got in the room and I met all the teachers and I wasn't nervous anymore."

Daniel Ortiz
"How would you describe the exam? What parts were more difficult and what parts were more easier for you?

Iani Adolphus
"The math part was probably the easiest part for me because Math has always been my favorite and the English part was the most challenging part for me."

Daniel Ortiz
"So which High School will you be going now?"

Iani Adolphus
"St. Catherine's"

Daniel Ortiz
"Do you have any idea what you want to be in the future?"

Iani Adolphus
"I want to study science so I was thinking maybe a doctor, a pediatrician - that's what I want to be when I get older."

Marlani Eck - Top performer, PSE
"It felt good because of all the hard work that I did, I know it paid off."

Daniel Ortiz
"How did you feel when you first heard what you placed and now that you're here?"

Marlani Eck
"I felt excited and I couldn't believe it because I didn't think that I would place so high."

Siyun Ye - Top Performer, PSE
"Just try the best you can and pay attention during class, study, practice and do additional research."

You may recall that this year there were a number of students who tied for the top scores.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize