Females take top three SEA spots overall: GOLDEN GIRLS

THE Golden Girls.

This year's Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam results have – like in recent years – been dominated by females with the top three places overall as well as the top SEA place in Tobago, all being taken by girls. The country's top male SEA student placed seventh overall.

The nation's top two SEA students are both daughters of doctors, but only one hinted she may follow in her parents’ professional footsteps.

Newsday met Ameerah Beekhoo of San Fernando TML, who placed first, and Anjaana Dan of Trinidad Renaissance Prep in San Fernando, who came second, at an SEA awards function at the Ministry of Education, Port of Spain, on Thursday. Both passed for Naparima Girls College. Sushmita Ramsawak of Gandhi Memorial School came third overall and passed for St Joseph's Convent, St Joseph. The top male student, Vineet Ramsaran of Eniath Montessori and Prep, placed seventh.

Beekhoo, daughter of family physician Dr Nickelson Beekhoo and cardiologist Dr Shari Khan, said she might ultimately do medicine, but Dan, daughter of laparoscopy surgeon Dr Dilip Dan, said no.

Asked how she felt about topping the SEA, Beekhoo replied, “Very excited.” Of her career plans, she said, “I’m not sure yet, but I think I want to be a doctor.”

Newsday asked about her experience under the covid19 lockdown of schools. “It was a bit hard bit with my parents’ help and my teachers’ help and the principal and God’s help, I did it and ended up being first.” Asked how long the school lockdown had lasted, she recalled, "Definitely more than six months.”

Dr Beekhoo chimed in to explain. “What had happened is that they were just prepped for exams with about two weeks to go and then the country went on lockdown. After that there was a bit of a lull and after the lull they just gave us a month to prepare for the exam in August.

“So it was a bit of a roller coaster ride. But I guess she hung in there and she was fine.” He said after TT was locked down in April, on July 20 the pupils learnt the exam date was August 20. Newsday asked Beekhoo what had been her biggest challenge. She replied, “The exam being prolonged when we were just ready to get it over with.” Her study advice to other pupils is,“To just keep on doing your work. If you get frustrated, take a break, then just keep going.”

The country's second placed overall SEA student Anjaana Dan said she felt "Kind of weird," when she got the news. “It’s kind of weird because I didn’t put in as much hard work as some of the other children. It’s kind of a weird feeling to know I came second overall.”

Asked if she had any career plans, she replied, “No, not as yet.” Asked if she wanted to follow her father Dr Dan, she shot back, “No, not really,” evoking chuckles all around. Newsday asked how the virtual learning had been. She replied, “I kind of liked it, because I got to sleep later.”

It hadn't been a big change from learning by textbook to using online methods, Dan said, as the main focus had been on completing past papers. “We didn’t have to do many notes, but test papers we had to print. So it was not much different, because you were still doing the work.”

Sushmita Ramsawak who placed third overall in the country had a bit of advice for students preparing for exams. "No matter what difficulties they have, just keep trying and trying and never give up because it is a lot of work but once you keep trying and studying, do it consistently, you will get where you want," she said in an interview aired on Radio 103.1FM on Thursday.

The past decade has been one of near dominance by girl students over their boy counterparts in terms of the SEA exam results. The decade started with a boy, Ashaish Mohammed, being the top SEA student back in 2010. However, for the next seven straight years, girls took the top prize.

In 2011, Gabrielle Balgobin was the top SEA student, Rebecca Ann Jattan in 2012, Sandhya Sookoo in 2013, Shivanna Chattoor in 2014, Anusha Saha in 2015, Caitlyn Brooker in 2016 and Lexi Balchan in 2018. Saish Rampersad finally scored one for boys when he was announced as the top SEA student in 2018. In 2019, Siri Vadlamudi was the top student and this year, 2020, young Ameerah Beekhoo is the top student.