Dear Editor,

The story of education in Jamaica is a story of endurance and renewal, of a nation learning to breathe again after the long shadow of the pandemic. The latest results from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) paint a picture that is both encouraging and cautionary.

They reveal classrooms rediscovering their rhythm, students finding confidence again, and teachers pushing forward against deep structural limits. There is much to celebrate. English and mathematics, the twin pillars upon which all other learning rests, have shown clear signs of recovery.

English language results shine most brightly. The public school pass rate climbed to 85 per cent, rising from 76 per cent last year and surpassing the pre-pandemic benchmark of 82 per cent recorded in 2019.

This achievement speaks to targeted interventions, renewed discipline, and the quiet determination of students who refused to be defined by disruption. Mathematics has also inched forward, with the national pass rate improving to 44 per cent from 39 per cent in 2024, placing Jamaica above the regional average of 39 per cent.

Yet even in this progress, a warning hums. At 44 per cent, mathematics remains far below the level needed to properly support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects that depend on strong numerical reasoning.

Outside the traditional core, students have excelled. Theatre arts achieved a 92 per cent pass rate; food, nutrition, and health reached 93 per cent; and agricultural science climbed to 86 per cent, with strong outcomes also recorded in visual arts and information technology.

Biology rose to an 84 per cent pass rate, an unsurprising result given its emphasis on factual recall rather than complex mathematical analysis at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level. These successes remind us that when learning is concrete and resource demands are lighter, students can thrive even in constrained environments.

The contrast becomes stark in the physical sciences. Physics and chemistry, subjects that require experimentation as much as theory, have declined. Physics fell from 69.6 per cent in 2024 to 63 per cent in 2025, while chemistry dropped from 64.1 per cent to 58 per cent.

The reasons are neither mysterious nor new. Too many schools still lack functioning laboratories, adequate equipment, computers, and reliable Internet access. In some cases, labs stand empty, turning science into abstraction rather than discovery. Without microscopes, burners, and basic apparatus, science becomes a puzzle without pieces.

Mathematics lies at the heart of this challenge. It is the language through which physics and chemistry speak. Weak mathematical foundations inevitably weaken scientific understanding.

Even with recent gains, a 44 per cent pass rate cannot sustain STEM growth or the careers that depend on it. To change the trajectory, mathematics must rise towards 70 and 80 per cent, where confidence replaces fear.

The path forward is clear: Mathematics classrooms need stronger teaching aids, digital tools, and adaptive platforms that make abstract ideas visible and engaging. Scientific calculators must be treated not as shortcuts but as learning partners, helping students understand processes rather than merely compute answers.

At the same time, investment in laboratories must continue beyond initial commitments, including the more than $100 million already allocated, and should be supported by private sector partnerships. In a world shaped by digital tools and artificial intelligence, denying students access to technology is equivalent to closing the door on their future.

When laboratories are equipped, Internet access expanded, and mathematics teaching strengthened, Jamaica can move beyond recovery. The 2025 results offer both celebration and caution. They call for urgency, vision, and sustained action.

For a nation aspiring to a technology-driven future, mathematics and science are not luxuries, they are the foundation upon which every dream stands.

Horatio Deer

horatiodeer2357@gmail.com