Guyana has dominated this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, taking six of the eight top regional awards, including Overall Outstanding Achievement for the most grades I in a single sitting.

That award is going to Michael Bhopaul of Queen’s College, the first student ever to achieve 25 grades I in one sitting. Bhopaul has also won the Business Studies, Natural Science, and Technical/Vocational awards, becoming the first student to win four regional top awards.

He excelled in additional mathematics, agricultural science (double award), biology, Caribbean history, chemistry, economics, English A and English B, French, geography, information technology, integrated science, mathematics, office administration, physics, principles of accounts, principles of business, social studies, Spanish, electronic document preparation and management, human and social biology, food and nutrition, family and resources management, technical drawing and industrial technology-building.

Another student from Queen’s College, Rawletta Barrow, has won the Humanities award with 20 grades I. Barrow’s subjects were: additional mathematics, Caribbean history, economics, English A, English B, French, geography, information technology, integrated science, office administration, principles of business, religious education, social studies, Spanish, theatre arts, electronic document preparation and management, human and social biology, food, nutrition and health, and family and resource management.

Guyana also took the Best Short Story award, which is going to Aasim Baksh of Stanislaus College for The Tremor.

Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) which adminsters CSEC announced the regional results on Friday. Queen’s College will receive the CSEC School of the Year Award for 2017.

The other two awards — Best 2-Dimensional Visual Art and Best 3-Dimensional Visual Art — will go to Kerron John of San Juan South Secondary School, Trinidad and Tobago and Nerissa Niles of Grantley Adams Memorial School, Barbados, respectively.

John’s piece is entitled “Leaves, roots and branches” from the painting and mixed media expressive form.

“The candidate’s expressive use of form and colour with subtle references to the genres of surrealism and abstract expressionism are commendable. The manipulation of acrylic paint, pastels, and rolled paper are all effectively combined on paper to depict a tree that metamorphoses into human form,” the chief examiner explains.

Niles’ piece, meanwhile, entitled “The Mask” came from the fibre and decorative arts expressive form.

Commenting on her work, the chief examiner stated:, “The bold ancestral mask reminiscent of the Bushongo is an excellent creation using natural materials. In this creation, the candidate has demonstrated a superior level of craftsmanship in the manipulation of materials and in selection and placement exploiting colour and surface qualities in executing the design.”

The awards will be presented at the Regional Top Awards Ceremony in St Kitts on Thursday, December 14, 2017.