Jamaica Education Minister shocked at CSEC results

(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaica’s Education Minister Ronald Thwaites has described the performance of students in the most recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations as shocking.

Ronald Thwaites

Thwaites, who read out overall performance in Mathematics and English Language, said the country will have to confront the “critical statistics” which points to a decrease in the percentage of pupils who pass the exams.

He said 46 per cent of the students passed English Language, a result which he called shocking when compared with a pass rate of 63.9 per cent last year.

The minister said 31.7 percent of students who sat Mathematics attained passes, a slight decrease from 33.2 per cent last year.

“We are very disappointed in these results…. The country has to come to grips with these realities,” Thwaites said.

He said if the performances are to increase the country must seek to properly educate its pupils at the earliest possible age.