George Henry, Gleaner Writer

SPALDINGS, Clarendon:

Sixty students from the newly-up-graded high schools across the island were honoured by the Association of Principals and Vice-Principals recently for their success in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams which they sat in May and June.

The function was held at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester, in front of personnel from the Ministry of Education, the CXC office in Kingston, several school administrators, among other persons.

Upgraded high schools

Alphansus Davis, president of the Association of Principals and Vice-Principals, told The Gleaner that the function was held in honour of the students to show how much their success is shared by many, as well as to highlight how students in the upgraded high schools have been achieving over the years.

He said students from the various schools, who sat the CXC examinations in May and June this year, did well to the extent that their passes showed that they (students) received a minimum of five subjects and a high of nine subjects in one sitting. Many of the students received grades one and two and, according to him, it is an indication that much is happening in the up-graded high schools.

Impressed

Opposition Spokesman on Education, Andrew Holness who spoke at the function, said he was impressed with the performance of the students, but added that, in a society where there is competition between the traditional high schools and the newly upgraded high schools, it is important that the latter parade their good performers, congratulate them and hold them up on a pedestal for others in such schools to see.

"A part of this thing is to break stigma, perceptions and conceptions. And the greatest way to do it is by showing up the performance of these students," Mr. Holness said.