By Mya Quamie
Despite previous criticism about nurturing unhealthy competition and placing excess pressure on students, the Education Ministry has announced the top five students of the SEA examination for the first time since 2021.
鈥淭his administration is based on meritocracy and we want to recognise excellence,鈥 said Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath at the SEA 2025 recognition ceremony at the ministry鈥檚 building in Port of Spain on July 4.
As results are still under review, the ministry named the top five students with no rank attached.
The students are: private candidate Xavier Telesford; Sandhya Maharaj of Macaulay Government Primary School; Nicholas Dolly of Chaguanas Government Primary School; Kailash Dialsingh of Exchange Presbyterian Primary School; and Ashlyn Ramkissoon of Jordan Hill Presbyterian Primary School.
The top five schools were St Peter鈥檚 Private Primary School, The Renaissance Preparatory School For Boys and Girls, San Fernando TML Primary School, Gandhi Memorial Vedic School and Lucia鈥檚 Private School.
Dowlath said after a review of the results is completed in the next few weeks a list of the top 200 students will be published.
鈥淭hose students who have demonstrated academic excellence will be an inspiration to their peers and to this nation.鈥
Of the over 17,000 students who sat the exam, over 9,000 boys and 8,000 girls, 66.18 per cent of the students scored 50 per cent and above. Around 2,000 students scored below 30 per cent.
鈥淭hat means over 6,000 students, more than one-third of all the students scored below 50 per cent. So this indicates that there is a little gap that all of our specialist educators, principals and teachers will start to analyse so that for the new academic year to ensure that we tweak our curriculum to meet the needs and improve those learning gaps.
鈥淲e are going to learn from the results.鈥
Dowlath encouraged students to have a positive attitude regardless of the results.
鈥淣o matter what score you made or what school you were placed at, your future is not refined by a single exam. There鈥檚 a world of opportunities for you. And so I ask to walk proudly with the values, knowledge and skills you would have acquired.鈥
He said there was some improvement in mathematics, with a 52.1 per cent mean score compared to 2024鈥檚 50.7 per cent. English Language also improved going from 53.4 per cent in 2024 to a 66.7 per cent mean score.
But he noted a slight decrease in English Language Arts Writing (Creative writing) which had a 56.2 per cent mean score compared to 2024鈥檚 59 per cent.
However, he said, these results were not comparable to those of 2024 or before because a new assessment framework was used.
鈥淭his included the re-introduction of several mathematics objectives that were removed in previous years鈥nd so the results from 2025 establish a new national benchmark standard that we鈥檒l use as we go forward to compare whether there is an improvement.鈥
In her congratulatory message to SEA students, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said those efforts would be supported by the resumed laptop distribution programme.
鈥淭his is part of our mission to ensure that all our children have equal access to knowledge, technology and opportunity in the modern world.鈥
The programme will see laptops being given to all form one students, an initiative first done under the People鈥檚 Partnership government between 2010 and 2015.
Top students advise: Balance school, extra-circular activities
At the ceremony, the top five students spoke about their journey to SEA success.
Nicholas Dolly, who passed for his first choice of Presentation College, Chaguanas, reflected on his achievements outside of academics. He placed second in the 2023 National Primary School Chess Tournament, later that year he was crowned the 2023 Spellbound champion. In 2024, he also won the National Junior Blitz Chess Champion under 12 and placed second overall in the UTC鈥檚 primary school investment game.
Private candidate Xavier Telesford has some exam-taking advice for his fellow students.
鈥淩emember success will come to all who yearn for it as long as they鈥檙e willing to spend their time pursuing their goals鈥ou have to block all distractions and answer all questions with the utmost diligence, completely focused on what the questions required, so as I stand here today I鈥檇 like to encourage my fellow scholars to achieve all that they can and reach for the stars as our journey has just begun.
鈥淚 have enjoyed participating in tournaments and making my school proud. I believe mixing academics with other activities is the correct formula for success.鈥
Sandhya Maharaj credited her success to overcoming self-doubt.
鈥淚 stayed focused on my goals and reminded myself that I could do it. I also made sure to maintain a healthy balance between my studies and relaxation.
She also thanked her supportive parents and teachers.
鈥淭hey never pressured me to pass for my first choice and that gave me the freedom to focus without fear or stress.鈥
Kailash Dialsingh said having a positive attitude contributed to his success.
鈥淲hen it comes to school and success, difficult and easy are just a mindset. When you make learning a part of your everyday life, challenges become so much easier to tackle.鈥
He dedicated the moment to his brother who was also a top SEA performer.
Ashlyn Ramkissoon said her inspiration was her parents, who attended Naparima Girls鈥 High School and Naparima College. She said she was not only inspired by their stories of the schools high academic standards but also by the personal development it encouraged.
鈥淢anners, posture, communication skills and the right balance of confidence and humility just to name a few.
鈥淭hese characteristics make you stand out in a deteriorating society鈥hat was my motivation.鈥
See Page 11 for more SEA
celebration photos