For 34 high school students at Wesleyan Christian Academy, dealing with statistics came across as a fun exercise this morning (Monday, 17 October 2016), the first day of activities during Statistics Week this year.

Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) staff led by Director Maria Zingapan provided a hands-on experience to enthusiastic Grades 9 to 12 students to demonstrate how to conduct a random survey and a quick census. They also participated energetically in a facts quiz.

Following a brief survey of a sample group of seven out of 34 students for a 20.5% sampling, the class got an understanding of how statistics are used through sampling to get a snapshot of the entire group’s views. They also learnt that the ESO conducts samplings of the Cayman Islands’ population through its various periodic surveys, such as the Labour Force Survey, to gauge the parameters of the Cayman Islands’ economy.

Statistical Officers Ivan McLean and Narnia Ebanks, along with Accounts Officer Joyce Christian worked with Director Zingapan to also conduct an impromptu quiz about facts and stats contained in the ESO’s “Cayman at a Glance”. This mini-brochure, which was distributed to all the students, provides a succinct statistical summary of the Cayman Islands economy.

Ten students won prizes for coming up with the correct answers in the quiz while all the students got a token gift for taking part in the exercise.
Teachers Robert Livingston, Ladonna Rolle and Daphne Ellis were on hand to facilitate the activities.

“It was more rewarding and certainly exciting to see the enthusiasm and energy with which the students participated in the exercise,” commented Director Zingapan. “I hope this has enthused some of our local students to take up careers in economics and statistics as well as understand the importance of statistics in so many aspects of professional lives. I am very pleased at this energetic start of this year’s Statistics Week.”

The week’s activities also include another interactive session with students, which takes place tomorrow at Clifton Hunter High School, daily Do You Know? sessions ending with a quiz on Radio Cayman’s Talk Today and for the civil service as well as community service by ESO staff at the Pines later in the week.
The week formally began with a church service at Cayman Islands Baptist Church on Sunday.

Photo captions Photos by Bina Mani, GIS:
ESO Director Maria Zingapan explains how the ESO’s factual mini-brochure Cayman at a Glance works. The students later took part in a quiz about these facts to win prizes.

ESO Statistical Officer Ivan McLean tabulates the impromptu survey results. L-r: ESO Accounts Officer Joyce Christian, Statistical Officers McLean and Narnia Ebanks.

The students look up the facts in Cayman at a Glance to be able to participate in the quiz, as Director Maria Zingapan explains.

The quiz winners, ESO staff and Wesleyan Christian Academy teachers