Former principal weighs in as schools struggle to achieve top CSEC math, English grades

There’s a call for major improvements in the teaching and learning process to help as many high school students earn the highest grade in the core subjects of mathematics and English language.

The call from school improvement coach, Esther Tyson, and the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) follows the release of data from the Education Ministry showing that a number of high schools did not have any students achieving a grade one in the subjects in this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams.

Tyson, who is a former principal of Ardenne High School in St Andrew, argues that those results may be because of the problems such as poor teaching and learning which continue to plague the education system. 

JTA president, Norman Allen

Meanwhile, JTA president, Norman Allen argues that the lack of grade ones should not be used to criticise schools.

He argues that many high schools receive students below the accepted level and they have to do more work to bring the students up to the desired levels in a short period of time.

Grade one is the highest CSEC score‎ and students achieving that mark are considered to have shown a comprehensive grasp of the required concepts, knowledge and skills.

According to the education ministry, students from 22 schools did not record a grade one in Mathematics and 12 schools did not have a single student earning the top grade in English language.

The data show that some schools failed to get a grade one in both subjects.