IN one sitting, pre-teens Jair James and Pure Robinson successfully completed two exams at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level, two stage-three City & Guilds courses, and their Primary Exit Profile (PEP) assessments.

Pure got a grade two in CSEC mathematics and a grade three in CSEC English language. For his stage-three City & Guides exams, which are internationally recognised from the British examination body and are equivalent to CSEC, he received a merit in mathematics and a pass in English language. The 12-year-old is currently a student at Cedar Grove High.

Meanwhile, Jair received a distinction in his City & Guilds mathematics exam and a pass in English. He also received two grade threes in mathematics and human and social biology (HSB) at the CSEC level. The 11-year-old is currently a student at Bridgeport High School.

Both boys are former students at Kemet Maasai Academy, an institution that specialises in preparing students who show potential and ability for all three major examinations, with a special emphasis on mathematics, English language, and human and social biology.

For Jair, he told the Jamaica Observer that he knew taking on all three exams would be a big task, but he was ready for the uphill battle.

“I would schedule [studying for exams] at different times. From Monday to Wednesday were my PEP days, and Thursday to Sunday were for City & Guilds and CSEC [days],” he shared.

When he went to sit his exams and realised the room was filled with adults and older students, the 11-year-old said he felt nothing but pride, knowing that he was the youngest and the only primary school student there. He said he was overwhelmed with happiness when he realised what he had accomplished by passing the exams at such a young age.

“When my mom came back from work, she said she had a surprise for me and when she pulled out the paper, I knew it was my [exam] results. I looked at the paper and realised that I passed both tests. I was jumping and shouting…it was exciting and I was happy that I passed them, even though it was a bit difficult on the third paper,” he explained to the Observer.

Unlike other students sitting the exam, he noted that he did not have the luxury of doing a school-based assessment (SBA) that was supervised. Instead, Jair and Pure walked into the exams starting from ground zero.

The 12-year-old Pure attributed his success to hard work and discipline. He shared that he attended classes every day of the week, and while nervous about sitting the exams, he never doubted his ability and made the necessary sacrifices.

“Some days it was boring because I didn’t want to go to school, but some days it was fun because of my friends,” he said as he reflected on his time studying for all three exams.

However, his results left him flabbergasted, mind-blown, and feeling that the sacrifice was worth it.

Pure shared that he is now energised and ready to tackle electronic document preparation and management (EDPM) and biology in the upcoming CSEC exam cycle. Then he will set out to take on additional mathematics and physics. His ultimate goal is to become a lawyer.

“I saw Isat Buchanan, and he inspired me to become a lawyer. He freed Vybz Kartel, and I have locs like him,” he said as his parents, Ann Marie Richards and Devon Robinson, erupted in laughter.

Pure noted that “not a lot of Rastas are lawyers and he [Buchanan] has locs…it shows that you can become anything you want to be”.

Kamau Mahakoe, principal and founder of Kemet Maasai Academy, first introduced early CSEC exams to her four home-schooled children. Their success drew interest from other parents, leading to her establishing the school in 2014.

While all students are introduced to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) syllabus from grade one, only those showing exceptional ability sit the exams early. Since then, seven students have successfully sat exams. Initially, students only sat CSEC alongside their grade six exams, until Mahakoe decided to offer them an additional option.

“With the City & Guilds it was a natural progression, because I’m saying, if they’re doing the CSEC exams, we might as well do the City & Guilds just so they have that under their belt. When they get to high school, they don’t have to worry about these things. I want to make sure that when my grade six students leave my school, they have math, English, and they have a science subject, which is the HSB,” she told the
Observer.

Mahakoe said her approach is holistic, with a focus not just on studying for the exams but also on an emotional and mental approach, to motivate and encourage students with one-hour motivational sessions.

“If you’re telling an 11-year-old to do CSEC, that child has to be motivated, that child has to be confident, and so that is our priority.

“For one hour every morning we motivate them, we talk to them, we play motivational songs, we do meditation, and that gets them in the frame of mind to be receptive to what we’re offering to them,” she explained.

She noted that oftentimes, limits are placed on children and they are not allowed to explore their full potential. She urged parents to push their children to achieve more, noting that if given the option to explore their potential, what they can achieve is limitless.

“This is how humans evolve, we push ourselves and we see what’s possible, and then when one person or two people do it, then everybody else sees that it is possible and more people will do it. If we keep shying away from pushing ourselves, then we never know how far we can go.

“There are kids around the world now, in Japan and Singapore and some other places, that are doing some amazing things, and if we want to be competitive in the world then we have to develop this kind of mindset; maybe [it is] not for the mainstream Jamaican child, but for those who really want more and are willing to provide the resources for the kids and so on, then let them know that this is where they can get it,” she reasoned.

Mahakoe said Pure and Jair are examples of what children can achieve if they are engaged and challenged. She congratulated both boys on their success.

Pure and Jair’s parents said it was this mindset held by Mahakoe and her track record of success that attracted them to the institution, and they have no regrets about their decision. They said they were always confident that their sons were capable of anything on which they set their minds.

Jair’s mother, Sandina James, shared that when the idea was presented to her, she and Jair’s father Rhyan gave their son a month to make his decision — a timeline the 11-year-old said he did not need because he was confident he could tackle all three exams.

She shared that she was at work on her lunch break when she received his exam results.

“When I saw the results, the food was in my mouth, and I could not swallow it. I was at work and I said to my manager, ‘I cannot stay. I need to go. I need to scream.’ I had so much energy inside. It was so overwhelming when I called his dad. His dad was so excited; when I called his teacher, she was so excited,” she recalled.

Rhyan said he, too, jumped for joy and was probably more excited than his son when he saw the results. He urged parents to take the time to assess the potential of their children and encourage them in all endeavours.

“If the teachers who are teaching them on a daily basis know they can, they will also have an idea of what they cannot achieve. With your support and guidance, your children can move mountains, but do not over-push your children. If it’s a case where they are frustrated, tired, or need to take a step back, you should always be mindful of what’s happening; take a step back if you have to, give them the time to rest and play and be children just the same,” he encouraged.

Similar sentiments were shared by Pure’s parents, who noted that while it can be a lot for a child to take on at such a young age, with the right support system, children are capable of anything.

“As parents, you have a little nervousness about the whole thing. Sometimes I wondered if it was too stressful, but apart from that, I knew he could do it. When it came on to exam time, I was always nervous like I was doing the exam, but he told me, ‘Mommy, I have it’, and I just trusted that and said, ‘Okay’,” said Pure’s mother, Richards.

“When they say they can do it, they can do it,” she added.

The 12-year-old’s father further pushed the importance of support.

“Just support your child and be there for them, you know them. As a parent, you may know what you would like for your child, and so you feel that you can choose for them, so to speak, but at this age and stage in life, you have to set that foundation where you carve out that support for them and the determination to go after what they want,” he said.

Pure Robinson (centre) with his mother Ann Marie Richards and his father Devon Robinson

Kamau Mahakoe, principal and founder of Kemet Maasai Academy (centre), with the young achievers Pure Robinson (left) and Jair James