Saint Lucia’s brightest students were celebrated for their outstanding academic achievements at the 17th Annual National Awards of Excellence on Thursday, among them Vianna Flavius and Maxime Avril who received island scholarships.
The event hosted by the Ministry of Education, held under the theme Celebrating Excellence: Acclaiming Our Trailblazers, Inspiring Our Nation, recognised top performers across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
Minister of Education Shawn Edward recommended the students for their resilience and dedication, highlighting their achievements as a source of national pride.
“We do not just applaud individual accomplishments, but we also affirm the boundless potential of our future leaders,” he said. “Your hard work, resilience, and commitment have yielded fruits that make not only your family and school proud but our entire nation.”
Edward highlighted the impressive performance of students in the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams.
At the CPEA level, 2 018 students participated, achieving scores ranging from 28.2 per cent to an exceptional 99.8 per cent. These results, Minister Edward noted, “reflect not only the dedication of our students but the foundational work of our educators in preparing them for future academic success”.
Saint Lucia’s performance in the CSEC exams improved significantly, with an overall pass rate rising by 2.42 per cent to 75.2 per cent.
“This progress is a testament to the dedication of our students, educators, and parents alike,” said the education minister, acknowledging the collective effort that has contributed to this success.
However, Edward pointed out that mathematics remains a challenge, with a pass rate of 43.56 per cent. He assured that the ministry is committed to implementing strategies to improve outcomes in this critical subject.
“We must, among other things, strengthen our focus on mathematics. Mathematics is a cornerstone of critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for the modern workforce,” he explained. “We are committed to implementing targeted interventions to enhance teaching methodologies and provide additional support to students and teachers.”
Saint Lucian students also made significant strides in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), with an outstanding overall pass rate of 96.5 per cent. Out of the 312 who took the exams, six—five from Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School and one from Sir Arthur Lewis Community College—earned spots on the regional merit list. Edward offered special congratulations to those students.
Acknowledging educators’ crucial role in student success, the minister emphasised the importance of professional development for teachers.
“Behind every successful student is an exceptional teacher. Continuous professional development remains a top priority for the Ministry of Education,” he said.
Minister Edward concluded his speech with words of encouragement to the students, reminding them that their journey is far from over.
“You are the architects of your future and the torchbearers of our nation’s destiny,” he said. “Let us continue to prioritise and celebrate academic excellence. For it is through education that we will unlock the full potential of our people and drive the progress of our nation.”
This year’s awards ceremony saw several exceptional students and educators being recognised for their achievements. The full list is as follows:
Two island scholarships were Vianna Flavius and Maxime Avril.
The Special Education Awardees included Peter Sonson, who received the Student Award; Dr Olu Ogunlusi and Dr Brittney Dalson who received Student Support Awards; and Verity Solomon, who was honoured with the Teacher Award.
The National Enrichment & Learning Unit (NELU) Awardees for top performers were: Kerwin Xavier in Plumbing Level 1 (CVQ), Gregg St Rose in Plumbing Level 1 (CVQ), and Amanda Joseph in Bread, Cake, and Pastry (NVQ).
The District Outstanding Achievers for the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) included Jaimie Louise Pamela Devaux from District One, Andre Jethro Zephurin from District Two, Avidan Phoebe Celine Mason and Ivy Augustin from District Three, Jermia Paris Sandra Cox from District Four, Amia Nairb Ignace from District Five, Najmah Egra Melchoir from District Six, Edania Safaria Joseph from District Seven, and Viniah Enzi Louis and Annalyn Saltibus from District Eight.
The Caribbean Primary Exit Awardees recognised Jaimie Louise Pamela Devaux as the Overall Top Achiever.
In the CSEC – Humanities category, the awardees were Marie-Thérèse E. Alexander St Clair for Additional Mathematics, Desiree Francois for Mathematics, Jaeda Moncherry for English A, Topaz Emmanuel for French, Merkayla Maxwell for English B, Shanii Labadie for Visual Arts, Tajma Louis for Theatre Arts, Jaiden Loctor for Music, and Teri-Ann Augustin-Espérance for Spanish.
For CSEC – Natural Sciences, the awardees included Tamah-Ann Francois for Human and Social Biology, Antonia Jagroop for Biology, Marie-Thérèse Alexander St Clair for Physics, Tejas Pandey for Chemistry, Myra Alcee for Integrated Science, Javier Ambrose for Agricultural Science (DA), and Keyshawn Alphonse for Agricultural Science (SA).
In the CSEC – Technical and Vocational category, Rachelle Smith was awarded for her performance in Office Administration, Jadon Hewitt for Electronic, Document Preparation & Management, Destine Fostin for Industrial Technology (Building), Joshua Celestin for Industrial Technology (Electrical), Vickram Cepal for Industrial Technology (Mechanical), Micarje Leonce for Technical Drawing, Jennaya Eugene for Textiles, Clothing & Fashion, Jennaya Eugene and Celesse Avril for Food, Nutrition & Health, and Rihan Joseph for Religious Knowledge.
The CSEC – Physical Education award went to Alexandra Bristol for Physical Education & Sports.
CSEC – Social Sciences awardees included Malaika George for Social Studies and Economics, Chrisean Albert for Geography, Vence McFarlane for Principles of Accounts, Tejas Pandey for Principles of Business, Rebecca Foster for Economics, and Ryliegh Gomez for Information Technology.
Liana Jean was recognised as the Overall Top Performing CSEC Student.
For CAPE – Arts and Humanities, the awardees were Faith Regis for Literatures in English, Tissa Dorville for French, Amichai Modeste for Spanish, Davianne Alexander for Communication Studies, Ebony Antoine for Sociology, Hileea Joachim for Tourism, Nahshon Augustin for Geography, Icon Chicot for Caribbean Studies, Whitney Daniel for History, and Dasha Jules for Law.
The CAPE – Business and Human Development Studies awards went to Jester Yang for Accounting and Economics, Hileea Joachim for Management of Business, Ajani Gustave for Digital Media, and Mya La Fontaine for Entrepreneurship.
In CAPE – Mathematics and Science, the awardees were Vianna Flavius for Applied and Pure Mathematics, Maxime Avril for Integrated Mathematics and Green Engineering, Sumiah Charles for Physics, Nhij Myers for Biology and Chemistry, Ajani Gustave for Information Technology, and Cedric Augustin for Environmental Science.
This is so wonderful. I hope that it was televised or at least streamed on social media.
Congratulations to all of you – who knows one of you could be the next Nobel Laureate. Keep up the good work the sky is the limit. Godspeed.
Congratulations everyone on you