The top Vincentian female performer in the May/June 2023 Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC) was Nailah Jack of the Girls’ High School.
Jack sat 14 subjects and obtained 11 grade ones and 3 grade twos, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday in updated preliminary results.
The top male performer was Oneil Sprott of the St. Vincent Grammar School who sat 13 subjects and obtained 10 grade ones and 3 grade twos.
The ministry said that the updated preliminary results were received on Sept. 20.
GHS also topped this year’s exams, registering a 98.84% pass rate, followed by SVGS’ 93.32%.
Five other school registered pass rate in excess of 80%, namely, St. Martin’s Secondary School (93.17%), Thomas Saunders Secondary School (92.76%), Canouan Secondary School (89.86%), St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown (89.72%) and Bequia Seventh-day Adventist School (86.73%).
This year, 2,133 candidates were registered, of which 1,486 were school candidates and 647 private candidates.
There were 1,472 school candidates from 27 secondary schools scheduled to sit papers I and II with 10,277 subject entries in 31 subject areas.
Approximately 72.16% of the subject entries were awarded Grades I – III. The corresponding figure in 2022 was 66.55%.
This year’s pass rate was 72.16%, up from 66.55% in 2022. It compares to 83.48% in 2021 and 81.86% in 2020 — the two years in which there was a modified exam in which students wrote Paper 1 only. The 2019 pass rate was 74.33%.
This year, 17.57% of the passes were at Grade I level, 38.48% at Grade II and 43.95% at Grade III.
The figures in 2022 were 16.96% at Grade I, 35.40% at Grade II and 47.64% at Grade III.
Seven schools registered pass rates between 60 % and 80%.
They are: St. Joseph’s Convent Marriaqua (78.02%), North Union Secondary School (76.21%), Mountain View Adventist Academy (72.78%), Buccament Bay Secondary School (69.31%), Bishop’s College Kingstown (68.12%), St. Clair Dacon Secondary School (63.55%) and Barrouallie Secondary School (63.48%).
The Bequia Community High School (BCHS) and the West St. George Secondary School (WSGSS) show improvement in their performance at the 2023 CSEC examinations.
In 2022, BCHS recorded a pass rate of 27.63% and WSGSS recorded a pass rate of 31.28%.
In 2023, BCHS pass rate increased to 54.26% and the WSGSS pass rate rose to 55.22%. These figures represent an increase of 26.62% and 23.94% respectively.
“The Ministry of Education and National Reconciliation congratulates all students and extends gratitude to the principals, teachers and staff at all schools for their support of the students,” the ministry said in a press release.
“We are cognisant of the fact that outcomes in education are measured, not only in quantitative terms, but also in qualitative terms; therefore, the value added to the lives of all of the students, the top performers as well as those whose performance can be improved, is greatly appreciated,” the release said.
“All schools are reminded to work diligently in conjunction with the Ministry of Education in support of student development and academic success.”
I’m curious to know what the pass rate was at Union Island Secondary School. It would be great if future coverage could include all high schools, so that your readers are fully informed of performance across the country. While it’s important to celebrate those institutions where achievement levels are high, it is also important to highlight those where the greatest improvement is possible (i.e. those with pass rates less than 60 per cent).