Kaiya Walcott of Wills Primary School and Javanni Carmichael of St Paul’s Primary School have emerged as the top performers in the 2025 Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination.
Walcott scored perfect marks in both English and Mathematics, earning her a place at Harrison College. Carmichael also impressed with a score of 100 in English and 99 in Mathematics, securing a spot at Queen’s College.
Both students received Bs in their Composition papers.
Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman announced the results during a press briefing on Monday and extended congratulations to all 2,981 students who sat the exam.
“This year, we celebrate not only those who topped the exam but all students who gave their best,” Minister Blackman said.
Chief Education Officer Ramona Bradshaw reported year-on-year improvements in both core subjects. The national mean for Mathematics rose to 60.2 — an increase of 5.6 points over 2024 — while the English average climbed from 65.2 to 72.5.
In Mathematics, 65 per cent of students scored at least 50 per cent, while in English, 85.1 per cent met or exceeded that benchmark. Twenty-four students scored full marks in Mathematics, and three achieved perfect scores in English.
Girls once again outperformed boys in both subjects. Bradshaw noted that female students scored above the national mean across all sections, while male students remained below average.
She noted that despite the improvement in English scores, a significant number of students continue to struggle with the use of English and comprehension of expository text, pointing to ongoing challenges with literacy that the ministry is working to address.
The ministry will once again offer its free summer school programme to support students needing help in these areas, and a town hall on inclusive education policy will be held on Wednesday, June 18. (SM)
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