Top three students at Ocho Rios High lead improved exam results

The top-three performing students in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams at Ocho Rios High School in St Ann have led the school to an improved average in this year's examinations, when compared with 2023.

Sixteen-year-old Jaymia Edwards scored ones in principles of business and English while she was in grade 10 and added eight more subjects in grade 11, to leave the school with 10 passes overall. She scored three ones and seven twos. She has her eyes set on being an estate lawyer.

Karim Hunter passed nine subjects, six with ones and three with twos, and wants to pursue a degree in economics and statistics.

Meanwhile, Kellissa Davis has already enrolled at Moneague College as she seeks to become a primary school teacher, after passing nine subjects, with two ones and seven twos.

Marvin Clowson, principal of Ocho Rios High, said, however, that there was still room for improvement.

“We would have seen a four-per-cent overall performance improvement this year, in comparison to the previous,” Clowson said.

Room for improvement

“Mathematics, English language, along with a few other areas, technical and vocational areas, have made tremendous strides. While we are relatively pleased with the CXC passes this year and commend and congratulate both students and teachers, we are cognizant of the fact that there is significant room for improvement,” he added.

Clowson said a determined effort is being made for continued improvement in the examinations.

Vice principal Volman Clarke explained that several students passed eight or nine subjects, but Jaymia, Karim, and Kellissa achieved the best quality passes.

The top-three students also performed well in City and Guilds examination, in the few subjects they sat.

The students and their mothers spoke with The Gleaner over the weekend to express their joy at the CXC results.

Jaymia said getting a grade two in social studies surprised her and also her teacher, as she did well in the exam and expected a one.

At the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level, she scored a one in English and a two in mathematics, while scoring distinctions in both subjects in City and Guilds.

“I knew that once I was fully prepared for the CXC maths, anything that came on the City and Guild mathematics I would be fine with it,” she told The Gleaner. “I wouldn't say CXC is higher (standard) but I find it a bit more challenging than the City and Guild. In English, the CXC was a bit longer than the City and Guild.”

She said she was pleased with her overall results.

“I am very pleased and proud of her,” said her mother, Patrice Lopez, said. “Right throughout I was there helping and encouraging her and when she studied at nights I helped her and made sure whenever she gets homework she does it on time.”

Apart from thanking her mother, Jaymia, the daughter of musician Carl Edwards, leader of Live Wyya reggae band, thanked her father, “for financially and emotionally supporting me throughout school”. She also thanked her teachers and her study mates. Jaymia now heads to sixth form at St Hilda's Diocesan High School in Brown's Town.

Kellissa Davis' surprise was opposite to that of Jaymia's.

“For human and social biology, I was expecting a three but got a two,” she explained.

Having already enrolled at Moneague College, Kellissa says she cannot wait to get in the classroom and start teaching the young kids.

“Because I really like children and I find it fun teaching them,” she admitted.

But she will have to wait until 2028 when her four-year course ends.

She thanked her teachers at Ocho Rios, “especially Miss Brown for doing all the early classes to make sure we got the work done”.

Kellissa's mother, Melonie Davis, said, “I am proud but it was expected. She was always a hard worker, worked on her own, a self-motivated person.”

Big surprise

Meanwhile, Karim Hunter had the biggest surprise of all, when it came on to his exam results.

“I'm kind of surprised with some of the results because I never knew I would have done that well, like in accounts, and EDPM. I expected I would have gotten ungraded but I got grade one in both,” he revealed to The Gleaner.

But there was disappointment as it relates to mathematics, especially for his mother, Denise Gray.

“I'm happy and sad at the same time because I expected him to get a one in maths and he got a two and I was disappointed in that,” Gray said. “He plans to make it up to me in sixth form. But overall, I'm happy with the results.”

But Karim was honest in his response when quizzed by The Gleaner about the missed target.

“To be honest, it's because mi waste time in class most of the time. From primary school, maths has always been my favourite subject because I like numbers,” he said.

Karim is enrolling to do sixth form at St Mary High School, where he will do pure mathematics and try and make it up to his mother with a better score.

He is thankful for more than his mother's support.

“First, I have to thank God because if it wasn't God it wouldn't be possible,” he said. “I have to thank my teachers and my bigger brother, Garth Pryce, because he stepped in as a father sometimes when my mother didn't have money to pay school fee or buy books or uniform.”

 

THE PASSES

 

JAYMIA EDWARDS

CSEC - 10 subjects passed, three ones and seven twos.

Grade one pass: Office Admin, principles of business, English language.

Grade two pass: Biology, Caribbean History, Information Technology, integrated Science, mathematics, principles of accounts, social studies.

CITY AND GUILDS: Distinction in mathematics, distinction in English

 

KARIM HUNTER

CSEC - Nine subjects passed, six ones and three twos.

Grade one pass: EDPM, English language, information technology, integrated science, principles of accounts, principles of business;

Grade two pass: Economics, mathematics, social studies

CITY AND GUILDS: Pass in Customer Service

 

KELLISSA DAVIS

CSEC - Nine subjects passed; two ones and seven twos

Grade one pass : Office administration, English language;

Grade two pass: EDPM, English literature, Human and Social Biology, Integrated science Sci, Maths, POB, Social Studies

CITY AND GUILDS: Distinction in mathematics; Pass in Customer Service.