Jamaican students performed marginally higher in the May/June 2024 sitting of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics, compared to the rest of the region.

“Jamaica’s maths pass rate for public schools was 39 per cent, and for all [of] Jamaica, meaning public, private and others, that figure was 33.4 per cent. When compared to the regional pass rate of 36 per cent, Jamaican public school students surpassed this figure by approximately three percentage points. But when you look at the all-Jamaica [figure], there was a decline of approximately 2.6 per cent,” Portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, explained.

Against this background, she emphasised the importance of interventions to spur higher out-turns in future exam results.

Mrs. Williams was speaking during Monday’s (August 26) press conference at the Ministry’s offices in Kingston, to provide a report on Jamaica’s performance in the 2024 CSEC and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) external tests.

The Minister cautioned against comparing the CSEC Mathematics performances of 2023 and 2024.

This, she said, as a modified approach was taken towards the subject’s grading in 2023 due to examination breaches.

Mrs. Williams reasoned that a better comparison could be made between the 2022 and 2024 sittings.

In 2022, Jamaican public schools recorded a 37.3 per cent pass rate, compared to 38.9 per cent in 2024.

This represents a 1.6 per cent increase in the students’ performance.

“Obviously, at that level, we are not satisfied with the performance of students in their maths exams. We here at the Ministry of Education and Youth, have to redouble our efforts; we have to have an emergency plan for maths to help our students,” the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Williams disclosed that 76.4 per cent of students who sat English ‘A’ received a passing grade.

“The pass rate there is commendable. We’d love to get that higher, and it is something that we will be working on in the years to come,” she said.

Minister Williams, however, reported a decline in the number of students passing five subjects, including Mathematics and English ‘A’.

Some 18 per cent of students passed five subjects this year, compared to 21 per cent in 2023.

A pass rate of 80 per cent and above was attained in the following subjects: Agricultural Science Double Award – 84.9 per cent; Agricultural Science Single Award – 85.1 per cent; Family and Resource Management – 90.6 per cent; Food Nutrition and Health – 87.3 per cent; Industrial Technology (Building) – 83.9 per cent; Office Administration – 86.9 per cent; Physical Education and Sport – 95.2 per cent, Principles of Business – 83 per cent, and Theatre Arts – 89.3 per cent.

In relation to CSEC science, none of the five subjects had a pass rate greater than 80 per cent.

The results are Human and Social Biology – 75 per cent; Biology –74.5 per cent; Physics – 69.6 per cent; Chemistry – 64.1 per cent, and Integrated Science – 44 per cent.

“I want to congratulate all of our students who sat the CSEC and CAPE exams. I know it’s hard work, and so you are to be commended. You sacrificed a lot and can now look back with satisfaction for those of you who did well,” Mrs. Williams said.