( L - R ) Fisher, Radcliffe

The Gleaner's Youthlink CSEC seminar series, geared to arm secondary-level students with tips and strategies to beat back exam blues, will roll out in April.

Corporate Affairs and Marketing Manager Karin Cooper said the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate, or CSEC, seminars are designed to motivate students to excel.

The seminar will be conducted by CSEC examination markers who are veterans in the business and thus able to share fool-proof advice on overcoming the big test later this year.

"The markers are chosen to carry out the seminars because they are aware of the common mistakes students make and they will be able to give students tips on what to expect in the exam," Cooper said.

The initiative, Cooper explained, was born out of a desire to assist students in securing a promising future.

"There are CSEC lessons that are published in Youthlink magazine throughout the year so this seminar will complement it by giving persons a better understanding of what is expected of them in a practical way," she said.

Core subjects

The Gleaner has been hosting CSEC seminars since 2004. The seminar kicks off in Kingston at the Girl Guides Association of Jamaica headquarters on April 2. The series then launches out to Sean Lavery Faith Hall in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, April 6; and Holy Trinity Anglican Church Auditorium in Montego Bay, St James, April 8.

Coordinator of the CSEC seminar, Terry-Anne Wilson, said the focus of the seminar this year was the core subjects, mathematics and English language, which have traditionally yielded disappointing results nationally.

She also said The Gleaner would continue to support youth development through its educational programmes.

Lecturers for the seminar are Clement Radcliffe, mathematics teacher and principal of Glenmuir High School in Clarendon, and Godfrey Fisher, teacher of English language at Kingston College.

nadisha.hunter@gleanerjm.com

For more information, contact Terry-Anne Wilson at 932-6082 or email terry.wilson@gleanerjm.com.