The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has begun the first of two preliminary rounds of a Regional School Quiz.

The first session was held last Thursday at the Learning Resource Center, University of West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

The Quiz is among a concluding series of activities to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas and is aimed at increasing the knowledge of students on the Caribbean and the integration movement.

Organised in two geographic zones, the first round saw participating students from Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and host Member State, Trinidad and Tobago. A total of three students representing each State stood before a small appreciative hall of students and teachers in the twin island Republic. The Quiz Master is Dr. Rovin Deodat from Guyana.

Although the overall quality of the students was considered very high, students from Guyana and St. Vincent and Grenadines seemed to have been the sharpest, qualifying for the semi-finals due to take place in Guyana in June 2004.

The second leg of the Quiz will take place in Jamaica this week, from 12-13 May with participating students from zone two - Anguilla, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, Montserrat and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Winners from the Jamaica leg will compete with those from the first round in the Semi-finals in Guyana.

The finals are also scheduled for Guyana in June.