Dear Editor,
The Principal of Marian Academy, Sr. Marie Harper, OSU, declared “I am pleased” with the 2015 CSEC results, when I saw her last in church. She should be, when the numbers are examined at both the students’ level and from Marian’s perspective.
Marian registered an overall pass rate of 93.3% in the 23 subjects taken. There were pass rates of 100% in 11 of those 23 subjects; and over 90% passes in 5 other subjects, including Mathematics. English A came in at 85%.
At the individual level, Miss Adena Singh recorded 9 distinctions in the 11 subjects she read for; and Miss Nandita Singh had 7 distinctions in her 12 subjects. Thirty-five of the fifty students passed all their subjects. No student sat for more than thirteen subjects, which is a sensible number, all things considered. Also, there was no “cherry-picking” of students to decorate statistics. In other words, if the student manifested consistent effort, then he or she was allowed to sign-up for the exams in those subjects. Sometimes aptitude might have been questionable, but all that the principal and the school asked for was effort.
At this point, I pause to recognize two students, Shane Chintamani and Jared Graves, who both received 100% passes in the subjects taken. These two young men (and their parents) were dedicated, stayed the course, and reaped encouraging returns. Thanks for believing enough in yourself to try hard; and thanks for tolerating the hard driving relentless approach.
Now the cycle recommences in a few days. There should be more hopes, lots of dreams, and endless work. To the new Form 5 students and their parents I share the following: if there is willingness to partner in hard work, then it could be your turn to be proud around this time next year.
Last, I say to the departing students: a single journey has ended, one only; many more wait with all the challenges and rewards embedded. Just believe that you can overcome, you can succeed through prayer and God’s guidance.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
