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St George’s Iain S. D. Smith 'unofficially' the top 2020 CSEC student in VI

- ESHS’ Shonari Winter the second best performer, according to results disclosed by Gov't
Iain S. D. Smith of the St George's Secondary School has unofficially emerged as the Territory's top CSEC student, having acquired 8 subjects with an impressive 7 Grade Ones. Photo: Facebook
St George’s Secondary School’s next top CSEC student is Chad R. Willock. Photo: Facebook
St George’s Secondary School’s next top CSEC student is Chad R. Willock. Photo: Facebook
According to Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Hon natalio D. Wheatley (R7), this year, a total of 358 candidates registered for one or more subjects for the CSEC examinations, as compared with 375 candidates in 2019. Photo: Facebook/File
According to Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Hon natalio D. Wheatley (R7), this year, a total of 358 candidates registered for one or more subjects for the CSEC examinations, as compared with 375 candidates in 2019. Photo: Facebook/File
PALESTINA ESTATE, Tortola, VI- St George’s Secondary School, a private institution, has unofficially produced this year’s top Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) student.

The results of the top performers for the VI were disclosed in a statement by Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) on September 28, 2020.

Iain Seymour Dan Smith acquired 8 subjects with an impressive 7 Grade Ones.

Smith now has a total of 11 CSEC subjects with 10 Grade Ones, having written 3 subjects in 2019.

The Ministry of Education has not officially disclosed who is this year's top CSEC student but, based on the results it has released, Smith is so far the Territory's best performer.

‘Student of the Year’

Mr Smith, the son of Chairman of the Social Security Board (SSB), Mr Ian S. Smith, was the Valedictorian at St George’s Secondary School’s graduation exercise in July 2020.

He had passed the School Leaving Examination with a distinction in every subject and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

The school had also declared Mr Smith the Student of the Year.

The school’s next top student was Chad R. Willock, who is the son of Speaker of the House of Assembly (HoA), Hon Julian Willock.

Willock, who graduated with High Honours and was the school’s top debater, secured 8 subjects with 4 Grade Ones.

Shonari Winter

The Number 2 CSEC student in the Territory is Shonari Winter of Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS).

Winter wrote 7 subjects with 7 Grade I passes.

Rennisha Rodgers, also of ESHS, had 8 subjects with 6 Grade I passes while Kristin Abraham and Kaeli Alphonso both secured 8 subjects with 5 Grade I passes.

Nicholous Kanhai is Bregado Flax Educational Centre’s top CSEC student, having secured 8 subjects with 5 Grade I passes.

Kayla K. M. Manning of the BVI Seventh-day Adventist School received 8 subjects with 4 Grade I passes.

Grades I, II & III earned in 78% of subjects entered

According to Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), this year, a total of 358 candidates registered for one or more subjects for the CSEC examinations, as compared with 375 candidates in 2019.

Of this total, 280 were students attending public secondary schools, 71 were from private secondary schools and 7 were private independent candidates.

Dr Wheatley also said a total of 27 CSEC subjects were written by candidates, as compared with 28 CSEC subjects in 2019. The subjects with the highest number of entries were English A (232), Mathematics (226), Electronic Document Preparation and Management (175), Human and Social Biology (142) and Principles of Business (117).

The Education Minister also disclosed that Grades I, II and III were earned in 78% of the subjects entered.

He said there were a total of 9 subjects with 100% passes. These are Agricultural Science (Double Award); Agricultural Science (Single Award); Visual Arts; Physical Education and Sport; Food, Nutrition and Health; Family and Resource Management; Technical Drawing; Industrial Technology (Mechanical); and Information Technology.

Dr Wheatley extended congratulations to the successful students and noted that "Given the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications, our students persevered through many psychological, social and emotional challenges. This pandemic forced our students to deal with great uncertainty, adapt to new learning conditions and adopt new studying practices."

34 Responses to “St George’s Iain S. D. Smith 'unofficially' the top 2020 CSEC student in VI”

  • All the best (29/09/2020, 10:05) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    congrats to all the students.
  • GG (29/09/2020, 10:23) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
    Congratulation to all well done.
  • foxy (29/09/2020, 10:36) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
    Clap clap clap clap clap
  • A well wisher (29/09/2020, 10:47) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    Congratulations to all the students. They did well. May St George’s Secondary School continue to shine.
  • Nice (29/09/2020, 11:02) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    Great Job, love seeing articles that showcase young people that value intelligence and hard work!!!!!
  • Lovely (29/09/2020, 11:16) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    Congratulations Iain a shy and humble but talented young man.
  • great (29/09/2020, 11:34) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well mannered young man. Congrats and all the best!
  • Happy Mom (29/09/2020, 11:41) Like (17) Dislike (0) Reply
    Congratulations!!
  • DEDE (29/09/2020, 11:43) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    Praise and thanks to God for this accomplishment. Congratulation to all the students, teachers, parents and all those involved in such a great accomplishment. Despite the many distractions and road blocks, you all still accomplish it. Once again congratulations to all. May God continue with you on your journey.
  • kudos (29/09/2020, 12:58) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    Congrats Iain! You have done an excellent job. Best wishes going forward.
  • zoe (29/09/2020, 14:10) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Good going
  • Flying (29/09/2020, 14:41) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Congrats to Iain... you made us proud and Congrats to Chad Willock... Keep on flying high...
  • Iain (29/09/2020, 14:51) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    How you pronounce that name again?
  • OK Then (29/09/2020, 16:29) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    So whats the secret minister. If St Georges school top say they top. They always top. Last year they dud as well
  • Iain (29/09/2020, 16:56) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name יוֹחָנָן‎ (Yohanan, Yôḥānān) and corresponding to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename Iain. It is a popular name in the English-speaking world and in Scotland, where it originated.
  • think (29/09/2020, 17:03) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    what about the children that got grade 11 pass dose it counts we need to highlight them also
  • Let’s be FAIR (29/09/2020, 17:44) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    Those results were from persons who sat the exams in 2020. It doesn’t show where the results from 2019 and 2020 combined! Congrats to him but Mr. Winter is the top student for the YEAR!
    • @ Let’s be Fair (29/09/2020, 19:58) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Mr Smith wrote 8 subjects in 2020 while Mr Winter wrote 7.....
      • @lets be fair too (29/09/2020, 22:50) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
        To let's be fair whether the 2020 results stand alone or add up with 2019 results mr smith still tops. Both smith winter and many other top ranks are local students who performed exceptionally and still Jeolousy rears its ugly head. You can't please black people meson. You need to GO SIDDUNG
        BVI did very well regionally this is a country win so stop sowing divisiveness
  • guy hill (29/09/2020, 18:18) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Congratulations to all. Good job. Always continue to do your very best. Be brave.
  • joe (29/09/2020, 20:07) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Our ESHS 11 grade students did extremely well in their first sitting at the CSEC exams. As an educator we look as our students achievements in one shoot, not the previous year where a child were preview/ experienced in sitting CSEC. Rams you did extremely well, Mr. Shonari Winter congratulations, you made the Sciences proud!!!
    • @joe (29/09/2020, 23:06) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
      Are your really allowed to teach people children?
      ESHS grade 12 = SGS grade 5
      Just in case = mean EQUAL
      No body tell eshs to add another grade and btw eshs students are meant to do cape or be at college in grade 12
      • Marcia (30/09/2020, 09:19) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
        Are we looking at the same year, or adding last years as well. Just checking!
        Didn't he write 8 and get 7 grade ones and the other child wrote 7 and got 7 ones...
  • joe (29/09/2020, 20:17) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Our ESHS 11 grade students did extremely well in their first sitting at the CSEC exams. As an educator we look as our students achievements in one shoot, not the previous year where a child were preview/ experience sitting CSEC.
    Rams you did extremely well, Mr. Shonari Winter congratulations, you made the Sciences proud!!!
    • @joe (29/09/2020, 22:50) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Congratulations to ESHS 11 grade students and all students. Point of clarification, with the extra school year added to ESHS, ESHS grade 11 is equivalent to St. George’s current graduating class. Further, SGGS students who previously sat the exam did so at the equivalence of ESHS’s grade 10.
  • Congratulations (30/09/2020, 02:05) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Congratulations to all the success students who sat the 2020 May/June Exams. Special congrats going out to Nicklous of BFEC, Shonari of ESHS (currently at 12th grader and HLSCC college students taking four courses at the college while being a student at ESHS) and Iain and Chad of St George’s Secondary. Continue to shine in the next chapter of your lives.
  • Our children (30/09/2020, 09:13) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    There were students at BFEC Secondary who also got 6-grade ones in this year sitting that was excluded in the Minister report. We need to be fair and recognize our children, no matter their background. Their achievements are successful in our education system, and the teacher's hard work. Just like Winter from ESHS, our kids need to be recognized.
  • GG (30/09/2020, 14:32) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    There were students at BFEC who attained 6 grade ones. Why were they excluded from the report? We need to be fair about this situation.
  • gkefkkdakxq (30/09/2020, 14:44) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    big Ups to Iain and Chad
  • GG (30/09/2020, 15:26) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    There are children at Brigado Flax with 6 grade 1 and 3 grade 2 and never recognized in the minister report let’s be fair
    • Flower (30/09/2020, 15:55) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Kudos to those who were recognized ,but what happened to the other children who gained at least 6 grade ones and 5 grade ones as well and grade twos.They should not be recognized as well. Isn't there something like equality of access .
    • GG (30/09/2020, 17:25) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      it seems like the 1ones have it so grade two don't count
  • local girl (30/09/2020, 18:52) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yes, these days colleges are looking for those ones, hence the reason why emphasis has been put on one's, but in all essence 1to 3 are passes.
    The top students for Anguilla did Csec for the first time and got all 11 1's 8 distinction and 5 merits.
    Congrat to all our small and intelligent young people, aim high.


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