A VINCENTIAN STUDENT, KAMAL WOOD, has, for the first time, copped the award of Most Outstanding Student in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) May/June examinations and the Caribbean Examinations Council(CXC).

Wood, took the honours out of a total of one hundred and thirty-two thousand, one hundred and seventy-four (132,174) candidates from throughout the entire region. {{more}}

The announcement was made Wednesday by Registrar of the CXC, Dr Lucy Steward during a press conference at CXC’s Headquarters in Barbados.

When Searchlight contacted Wood at his home Wednesday he calmly said he felt “really good” about being the best at this year’s exams. He is currently enrolled in the natural sciences faculty at the St.Vincent Community College where he began classes only Monday. He intimated that he hopes to continue his winning ways to also win an island scholarship.

Kamal, a past student of the St Vincent Grammar School sat 11 subjects in which he achieved Grade Ones: Biology, Chemistry, English A, English B, French, Geography, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Principles of Business and Spanish.

He also won the award for the Most Outstanding Performance in the Humanities with Grade Ones in four related subjects: English B, Geography, French and Spanish.

The award for the Most Outstanding Performance in the Sciences went to Daniel Thomas of Ardenne High School, Jamaica. Daniel achieved Grade Ones in ten subjects, including three Science subjects – Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The other subjects were English A, English B, French, Information Technology, Mathematics, Spanish and Technical Drawing.

In what must be great news for the battered Grenadian nation, one of their own, Donrick Slocombe, of the Grenada Boys Secondary School, received the award for the Most Outstanding Performance in Technical Vocational Subjects. He achieved Grade ones in eight subjects including Building Technology (Construction), Electrical and Electronic Technology, Technical Drawing and Grade two in Information Technology.

A student from St Kitts and Nevis, Kimala Swanston, of the Charlestown Secondary School, Nevis, won the award for the Most Outstanding Performance in Business Education subjects. Kimala achieved Grade ones in three Business subjects – Office Procedures, Principles of Accounts and Principles of Business. She also achieved General Proficiency Grade ones in Caribbean History, English A, French, Food and Nutrition, Mathematics and Spanish.

A student from Trinidad and Tobago, Lianna Baboolal of Naparima Girls High School, Trinidad and Tobago takes the prize this year for the Best Short Story submitted in the English A, General Proficiency examination this year. The story is based on a photograph of an elderly man dressed in a suit, sitting and looking withdrawn.

Demekos Williams from the Turks and Caicos Islands won the Award for the Most Outstanding Performance in Visual Arts, 3-Dimensional work. He created a decorative leather plaque based on the theme ‘Birds’.

Emma Chapman of Queen’s College, Barbados won the award for the Most Outstanding Performance in Visual Arts, 2-Dimensional work. Chapman’s piece was based on a question in the Graphic Design Option. Her design portrays the front panel of a brochure advertising the Barbados Nature Reserve.

The prizes for the top students include a cash prize and a plaque from CXC, a dictionary with CDROM from Longman Publishers and a scholarship from the University of the West Indies. The students can take up the scholarship if they have been accepted by UWI under the lower-level matriculation requirements, or may request a deferral for up to three years if they choose to write CAPE and/or A levels, or pursue an Associate Degree for normal matriculation.

The scholarships include full tuition if the recipient elects to take up the award based on CSEC results. However, if the recipient has been accepted under normal matriculation requirements, he/she shall be eligible for full tuition, maintenance and other costs.

The students will be presented with their awards when CXC holds its annual Council Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda on December 2, 2004.

Two hundred and seventeen (217) candidates satisfied the criteria for the Most Outstanding Candidate Overall, which is eight (8) Grade ones at General and/or Technical Proficiencies.

The candidates meeting the requirements came from twelve territories; Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

The one hundred and thirty-two thousand, one hundred and seventy-four (132,174) candidates who sat the exams represent an increase of almost 4000 candidates compared with 2003.