- Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer
Dr. Donald Rhodd (left), Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, greets the team from Belize after he officially launched the second phase of the CARICOM Quiz Competition yesterday at Hotel Four Seasons, New Kingston. Looking on is quizmaster, Dr. Rovin Deodat (second left) and the team's chaperone Marjorie Shaw (third left).
Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
THE SECOND phase of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Quiz Competition, which is part of CARICOM's 30th anniversary celebrations that have a special focus on youth, got under way yesterday at Hotel Four Seasons in New Kingston.
Students from Anguilla, Belize, Dominica, Monsterrat, St. Kitts and Nevis and host country Jamaica are taking part. Students from Immaculate Conception High School are representing Jamaica.
The first phase of the competition was staged in Trinidad and Tobago last week among four participating islands Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and host nation Trinidad and Tobago. Guyana emerged the victors with St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the runner-up spot. Both teams advanced to the semi-final that will be held in Guyana next month. The finals and the awards ceremony will also be held in that country.
The contest ends today. The first segment will field questions from the CXC curriculum in the areas of geography and social studies, which includes culture. The second set of questions will be pulled from the CXC history syllabus. And, the third and final segment will air questions from the handbooks on 'CARICOM for Schools', which was distributed in advance to the all schools participating in the competition. Dr. Rovin Deodat is quizmaster.
Dr. Donald Rhodd, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, gave the keynote address at the launch. He opened with the Bible, as he quoted from Ephesians 5 verse 8: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." The Minister said the theme of the 30th anniversary celebrations, which is 'Integra-tion: Our Key to Prosperity', "is indicative of the value we Caribbean people have placed on our integration."
Dr. Rhodd also used the platform to campaign for the impending Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME). "Our elements of unity are growing even stronger with the advent of the Caribbean Single Market Economy," he said. However, he conceded that establishing the CSME will not be an easy feat, but it will be worth it. "I submit that we can successfully establish the CSME by the year 2005. The benefits to be derived from the CSME far outweigh the challenges we may encounter."
