Biabou Methodist School is back in top rankings after 27 years

AFTER APPROXIMATELY 27 years without a student scoring in the top percentile of the primary exit exams, quiet student Le Raun Robinson has made the Biabou Methodist School proud.

Robinson placed second for boys and sixth overall out of a total of 1705 candidates- 859 of whom were boys, who wrote the exams in May of this year.

His performance did not come as a surprise to his teachers and principal; they describe him as a conscientious and diligent student.

The 11-year-old helped in the 83.3 percent pass rate that the school recorded in the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) this year, a figure that is said to be similar to the pass rate of last year.

“It has been good and bad because of all that took place with Covid, the Dengue and then the explosive eruption of La Soufrière,” Principal, Hassan Wickham disclosed to SEARCHLIGHT yesterday, June 20 as she commented on the preparation of the students.

“The group of students, some of them were very tardy at times and there are many occasions when the class teachers would have to bring them to the office in order to get them to finish their work,” she disclosed. But others were diligent and this showed in the results.

When asked about the last occasion that the school had a student in the coveted ‘top ten’ positions of the exams, the principal said she believes this was 27 years ago when one, Phil Isaacs placed second.

Robinson’s performance has the school feeling elated and excited.

“…We are justly proud in that we’ve never had the SEARCHLIGHT, the API (Agency for Public Information) and so coming to us, but the occasion has arisen because Le-Raun has done us proud and his family proud. He has done himself proud. So we’re happy that we’re on the map, educational map, because of our success,” Wickham said.

In general, the principal thanked the teachers, from Kindergarten up to Grade Six and the students “for really applying themselves and doing well.”

In advising all the students that morning, the educator said she told them, “they will be going to different schools, whether they pass or they fail all they have to do is apply themselves. Just use the results that they have today as a stepping stone for higher work so they will apply themselves to the work and do better because after five years all of them will be doing the same exams like they would have done some months ago.”

On the topic of Robinson’s achievement, the school’s Mathematics and Science teacher, Suzette John, said, “I’m very, very elated. I expected him to perform exceptionally well.”

She said that when it comes to the school’s performance this year she is satisfied overall.

“…During this pandemic time teaching online was very difficult for me especially as I am not technologically inclined, so using the computer and so on to teach online it was very, very difficult for me,” she revealed. However, the teacher overcame with help from others and was able to do well online.

Language teacher, Shontell Lewis said she is also satisfied with the performance of the school, but agreed with John who noted that in some cases they expected a student to have a higher pass than they did.

Lewis also had expected that Robinson, who she described as an independent student, will do well.