School candidates record 73.25 per cent CSEC pass rate

School candidates who wrote the May/June 2017 Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC) recorded an overall pass rate of 73.25 per cent.

A release from the Ministry of Education said the results were received on August 21, 2017 and this year, 2,674 candidates were registered. Of these, 1093 were private candidates and 1,581 were school candidates.

There were 1,563 school candidates sitting 10,982 subject entries in 33 subject areas, from 26 secondary schools. Approximately 73.25 of the subject entries were awarded Grades I – III (the corresponding figure in 2016 was 74.66% and 75.15 in 2015).

This year, 11.40% of the passes were at Grade I level, 27.33% at Grade II and 34.52% at Grade III. Last year’s figure were 12.30% at Grade I, 28.52% at Grade II and 33.84% at Grade III.

The Girls’ High School (95.56%), the St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown (90.64%), the St Vincent Grammar School (87.56%), Thomas Saunders Secondary School (86.06%) and the St Martin’s Secondary School (82.39%) all recorded pass rates in excess of 80 per cent.

Ten schools obtained creditable pass rates between 60% and 80%. These are the St Joseph’s Convent (Marriaqua) – 79.34%, Bequia Seventh-Day Adventist School – 77.27%, Mountain View Adventist Academy – 74.19%, Bishop’s College Kingstown – 72.96%, West St George Secondary School – 70.04%, Georgetown Secondary School – 65.92%, North Union Secondary School – 63.70%, Barrouallie Secondary School – 63.43%, Troumaca Secondary School – 62.44%, Emmanuel High School, Mesopotamia – 60.74%.

The School which recorded the most significant improvement over the previous year is the Georgetown Secondary School, whose pass rate increased from 45.76% in 2016 to 65.92% in 2017. This represents a 20.16% increase.

This year, the most outstanding results came from Iana Y R Ferguson, a student of the Girls’ High School. She achieved 19 subject passes – 18 grade ones and one grade two.

Three other students obtained 13 subject passes, four students gained 12 subject passes and 31 students gained 11 subject passes.

“The Ministry of Education congratulates all students and extends gratitude to the Principals, teachers and staff at all schools for their support of the students. We are cognizant 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.

“All Principals continue to work diligently in conjunction with the Ministry of Education in support of their schools’ effectiveness and the students’ success,” the release ended.