CONGRATS Top of the Hill : Mannings Hill Primary in rural St Andrew would have not one, but six perfect Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) scores this year.... If ????? Read more

BY KIMONE THOMPSON Associate Editor -- Features thompsonk@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, June 28, 2015    

IF you round up by 1.8 percentage points at the most, Mannings Hill Primary in rural St Andrew would have not one, but six perfect Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) scores this year.

The six students of Mannings Hill Primary School in rural
 St Andrew who recorded exceptionally high scores in the
 Grade Six Achievement Test this year. From left, they are
Dainalissa Saddler, Crystal Francis, Tahjay McKenson,
Britney Gayle, Ackera Bogle and in the back, Pahjay Plunkett.
 (PHOTO: KIMONE THOMPSON)

That's because, in addition to the 100 per cent average of head girl Dainalissa Saddler, there is the 99.4 per cent scored by Ackera Bogle, the 98.8 per cent bagged by both Pahjay Plunkett and Tahjay McKenson, the 98.6 per cent copped by Britney Gayle, and the 98.2 per cent recorded by Crystal Francis.

Saddler, Plunkett and McKenson have been placed at Campion College; Gayle and Francis are headed to Immaculate Conception; and Bogle will attend Wolmer's Girls' School.

"It's quite an accomplishment, especially for our geographic location," Principal Matthew Sinclair told the Jamaica Observer. "I've never heard of a school in QEC 10 [Quality Education Circle] with a perfect score," he continued, making reference to the 18 or so primary level schools in one of the 11 administrative subdivisions of the Ministry of Education's Region One.

Dainalissa Saddler received a perfect
GSAT score (PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS)

Sinclair said Mannings Hill, which he has headed since 2012, has "consistently performed above the national average" in GSAT over the years, averaging in the 70s across the board.

"We normally have one or two students getting 100 in different subject areas. Now, we have 15 in science, eight in maths, five for language arts, and five for social studies. [What's more], in the GSAT class of 82, 20 averaged 90 and over," he said, the glow of pride obvious on his face.

Asked to what he attributed the quantum leap in grades, as he described it, the principal said he couldn't put his finger on any single factor.

Some members of the GSAT cohort of Mannings Hill
 Primary School (PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS)

"I did not see the actual exam paper, but it could be a case of the paper being easier, it could be a case of the students working harder, it could be a case of the teachers' methodologies improving," he said.

On the latter point, Sterling singled out the grade six teachers, who he said arrived at school between 6:00 and 6:30 in the mornings and stayed until the same hour at night. They also used their lunchtime and weekends to coach students. more