JAMAICA College (JC) Principal Wayne Robinson has responded to Educate Jamaica’s statement that the organisation has always included grades attained prior to grade 11 in their CSEC ranking.

Robinson told the Jamaica Observer that despite Educate Jamaica founder and Chairman Ainsworth Darby’s claims, the numbers at JC do not add up.

“I know I pointed it out a couple years ago and indicated that they have the habit of putting out the ranking and not take into consideration our fourth and third formers. Even subsequent to that information, the correct grades weren’t used. What I sent them is not what I see published. I see a different average come out, so it’s clear that they’re doing their own thing,” Robinson said. “We’ve spoken before the last two that was done and the data I gave him, I saw a different data come out. If he says he’s been asking for that information, what I know is what is put out in the ranking is not what is reflected in our calculations. I also know for a fact that he doesn’t take into consideration any boy who does anything that is not CXC.”

But Stacey Wilson Reynolds, former principal of Mount Alvernia High and current principal of Immaculate Conception High, said her experience with Educate Jamaica is that once the additional grades and proof are submitted they are used.

“When I was at Mount Alvernia, we submitted the scores of students who passed exams before grade 11 and they were used. At Mount Alvernia we have a programme where we actually encourage the girls to do subjects in grade 10. They can do subjects before going to grade 11 and those subjects are sent in with the ranking with the grade 11,” Wilson Reynolds said.

She added that she agrees that the ranking system is flawed, but not on the basis of grades attained prior to grade 11 not being counted.

“The current system is flawed not because of subjects taken earlier not being counted. There are deeper issues to it. Once you provide the proof that they have done it earlier, in my experience it was counted,” she said.

Wilson Reynolds took office at Immaculate on September 1, 2020. As for her experience there, she said the girls are allowed to do more than eight subjects. She further put to rest claims that girls who do subjects before grade 11 are forced to resit subjects to satisfy the ranking.

“What I understand from Immaculate’s end is that you’re not required to resist it, but you’re still required to sit in the maths, English or whatever subject it is in class and do all the internal exams, because you still need a transcript which takes you from grade seven to 11. But, you’re not required to resit,” she said.

Moreover, Educate Jamaica maintains that it has always requested all grades, regardless of when they were attained, as it was not in the business of misrepresenting schools, instead it was about providing information to parents.