Surmounting COVID-19 in 2020 CXC Exams

The 2020 school year has begun amidst the turmoil of COVID-19, and this has meant that students have not returned to school in the traditional sense. Instead, they have been restricted to online classes using a combination of video, email, and learning management systems. This has only extended the difficulties the students faced during the second half of their most recent school year (2019-20) when in March, in-person instruction came to a screeching halt. Students preparing for their CSEC and CAPE examinations met a roadblock as the exams were slated to begin in the upcoming weeks—they officially began on July 13 after a 3-month delay. However, despite the difficulties, when the MBHS students sat their examinations, the results revealed the same spirit of excellence that has been the hallmark of the institution. Current Principal Mr. Gairy Powell’s report on the students’ performance emphasizes that they “continue to live up to the legacy that you have left behind even under the difficult circumstances.”

Students were sent to sit 25 subjects at the CSEC level and for 13 of those subjects, the school received a 100% pass rate. Of the other 12, ten (10) of the subjects had a 94% or above pass rate, while two (2) had a success rate of above 85%. As a result, the overall success rate for the MBHS students for 2020 CSEC level exams is 97.91%

CAPE subjects saw an even more favorable result, as 100% of all the MBHS students who sat passed all their subjects. Below are some of the highlights:

CSEC

Subject

Success Rate (%)

English A

100

Mathematics

95.42

Physics

97.56

Chemistry

97.5

Biology

97.91

Geography

100

Spanish

94.57

Information Technology

100

Food Nutrition & Health

98.7

Principles of Business

100

Visual Arts

100

Additional Mathematics

85.71

CAPE

Subject

Success Rate (%)

Accounting

100

Biology

100

Chemistry

100

Law

100

Literatures in English

100

Physics

100

Pure Mathematics

100

In his report on the results, Gairy Powell expresses his gratitude to the alumnae: “Many thanks for your kind donations, which contributed to the girls’ returning to a safe and comfortable environment in July.”

The current climate continues to be tricky to navigate as, based on Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Act, the Ministry of Education has mandated the continuance of remote learning for all schools. However, Montego Bay High School’s administration, staff, and students remain as dedicated as ever to continuing along the path of excellence into 2021 and beyond.