Students true champions of perseverance

THE students of Princess Margaret Secondary School have been described as true champions of perseverance and struggle.

 

This is according to Principal Jonathan Corbin, as he addressed the School’s Speech Day and Prize-giving Ceremony for the academic year 2015-2016.

 

He reported that out of the 320 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations taken, there were 10 Grade 1’s, 69 Grade 2’s and 129 Grade 3 passes – a pass rate of 65 per cent, just one per cent off from last year’s performance.

 

“I implore you not to trivialise these accomplishments. In many cases, students have grappled tirelessly with concepts and information while at the same time trying to fill the gaps in their foundational knowledge base, with which they departed primary school,” he explained.

 

Giving a detailed report of each year group, Corbin said that many of the fifth years were quite jaded and indifferent with respect to their educational opportunities at the Princess Margaret Secondary School, in spite of being offered an array of skills-based training opportunities.

 

According to him, academic performance therefore suffered with anywhere from 63 per cent to 85 per cent, of any given class averaging under 40 per cent. However, he pointed out that attendance figures were generally quite high.

 

He said that CSEC Mathematics had a pass rate of 25 per cent.

 

“It was not a good year for Mathematics; like last year when 16 students were entered and 12 gained passes. Efforts will however continue of course to be made to increase the success rate in the coming years, but Mathematics remains a very challenging subject for our students.”

 

However, in English, Corbin reported that the department recorded quite notable improvement in the passes gained with a 58 per cent pass rate in English Language at the CXC General level up from 44 per cent last year, while 25 per cent of those writing English Literature were successful.

 

Lauding the Business Studies students for their notable performance in CXC examinations, the principal went on to reveal that as it relates to Industrial Arts most students throughout the year level performed below the accepted standards.

 

“This is due mainly to students’ lack of dedication and commitment and their failure to do homework. However, teachers are constantly looking for ways to improve teaching methodologies so as to improve students’ acquisition and processing of information.”

 

The Principal further expressed, “The young generations before us are the only ones we have to work with and depend upon for the future of this nation. You do not get to discard and whip up another batch as in Home Economics; not so in human endeavours. Our tasks as adults and as leaders is simple, make the most of what we have, working with the belief that greater effort yields greater results.”