Bath Primary principal helps three mothers pass CSEC English

Three mothers in the quiet community of Bath, St Thomas are celebrating academic success after passing this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) English A examination under the guidance of the principal of their children’s school.

The women were coached by Bath Primary School Principal Devmarie Blake-Brown, who provided free lessons and secured sponsorship to cover their examination fees.

All three earned passing grades, securing grades 1, 2, and 3, and say the achievement will serve as a springboard to further academic and personal growth.

Chanique Ewen, who earned a Grade 2, said she was quick to respond when Blake-Brown shared details of the opportunity in the parents’ WhatsApp group.

“I did not have English and it was at the school and I live nearby ... so that’s one of the reasons why I did it,” she explains.

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) President Mickiesha Harris-Roberts, who earned a Grade 3 and was newly pregnant at the time, said she was initially reluctant to sign up.

However, at the urging of Blake-Brown and her older daughter, she decided to “take the push”.

Venice Hunter, who secured a Grade 1 on her first sitting of a major examination, also credits the principal for encouraging her to attend the classes and sit the exam.

“When I saw it in the group, I texted her and I said, ‘How much?’ and she said it’s free. I told her I was too old and she said, ‘No, you’re going to do it’,” Hunter recalls.

The classes were held before and after school, as well as online. Week after week, the women completed past papers and assignments while balancing personal responsibilities and challenges.

For Ewen, managing lessons while helping her two children with homework was demanding.

Although pregnancy presented its own challenges, Harris-Roberts remained committed to her studies.

“At one point, I told myself that ‘I can’t manage’ because, at the time, I was in my first trimester of pregnancy and that trimester was very rough. I felt sick and, like, I did not have the strength. But my big daughter was around and she always encouraged me,” she explains.

Harris-Roberts said she persevered to set an example for her daughter, who was also preparing to sit the examination as a grade-10 student.

“That push came from my daughter because me, being her parent and sitting down and willingly saying that I am going to just leave this, it’s like I was telling her that ‘you don’t have to push through with anything’,” Harris-Roberts, now eight months’ pregnant, says.

‘Turning red and white’

Reflecting on exam day, she jokes: “I thought I would turn red and white! I ate so many mint balls because I was feeling so sick,” describing the nerves and discomfort she experienced.

She added that the support of the other women became a source of strength and encouragement, particularly as they sat the examination together at Seaforth High School in the parish.

For Hunter, the opening moments of the examination were nerve-racking. Her anxiety soon eased, however, when she realised much of the content had been covered in past papers and classwork.

The Grade 1 result brought excitement and pride when results were released earlier this month.

“I was very excited and I felt happy. I have something to put on paper now,” she says.

Harris-Roberts said she was moved to tears when her daughter checked the results and told her she had passed. She now plans to pursue social studies.

She believes learning is a lifelong pursuit and that people should never stop striving to improve themselves through education.

“Growing up, I got only one chance in high school and I encountered financial strains. I didn’t have anybody to send me back when I came out of high school with two subjects ... so I settled with what I had,” she shares.

Reflecting on the experience, Harris-Roberts said she learned that education has no age limit.

“Not because you have two ... three kids going to school – the financial strain is going to be there ... yes. But, in the same way you make sacrifices for your kids to get an education, why not do it for yourself as well?” she asks.

The women heaped praise on Blake-Brown, describing her as their motivator and a driving force behind their success.

“We pushed through and we did well and we made her proud. We are glad we did,” Hunter says.

Ewen said Blake-Brown has made a significant impact on the community since arriving at the school, adding that residents are grateful for all she has done.

An educator for more than 20 years, Blake-Brown is no stranger to academic success stories.

In 2024, she made headlines after tutoring her own son to a Grade 2 in CSEC English A at just 11 years old.

Now in her first principalship, Blake-Brown said community engagement is high on her agenda.

“When I came to this community, I realised that it was important to actually get the parents involved in the process of learning. You’re able to understand what their capabilities are and to transmit that to their children so that the success was not confined to students but also [extended to] the parents,” she said.

To facilitate the women’s participation in the examination, fellow educator and Morant Bay High School Vice-Principal Marsha Ford-Bryan provided sponsorship, while Blake-Brown personally covered part of the costs.

Drawing on years of experience teaching adults, Blake-Brown said it was not difficult to help the women realise that success was within reach if they applied themselves and remained committed.

When she saw the results, she said, she was overwhelmed.

“I remember when [Mrs Harris-Roberts] sent me a message ... that tears were in her eyes. It speaks to the fact that you never know how impactful you can be in somebody’s life unless you make that effort to make that connection with them,” the principal stated.

Blake-Brown said she is considering expanding the initiative to include other interested community members, in addition to parents of students at the school. She also hopes to introduce reading classes for ancillary staff.

“The school rests on the shoulder of the community. I believe that it’s a very, very important thing for the community and the school to share a partnership. That’s one of my mantras ... that, whatever I’m doing, the community must be a part of it so that we all move this school together,” the principal declared.