Jonathan overcomes behavioural challenges to excel in PEP

*JONATHAN SMITH will be attending a prestigious high school in Kingston come September after outstanding results in the 2023 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exam.

In fact, he emerged the top student of the small primary school that he attended in rural St Catherine.

“I feel good to know that I have accomplished and done well in my exams and about attaining the top student award,” a proud Jonathan said after collecting the award at the recent graduation ceremony.

“I did not expect to get the top title,” he added.

As the various awards were being called out, Jonathan said, “My anxiety was very high, I was even getting cold.”

However, when he was named the top student, “I was very excited and had a feeling of relief,” he admitted.

Jonathan’s achievement is a major turnaround for the student who had behavioural problems and was on the verge of being expelled while in grade five.

His parents, determined to not give up on their son, appealed to the principal who agreed to give the youngster another chance and took him under her wings.

With the support of his parents, principal and teachers, Jonathan was able to achieve the turnaround in attitude and behaviour needed to focus on his schoolwork and pursue a path towards realising his full potential.

Jonathan is expressing gratitude and appreciation for all the support during his journey. Looking back, he said he realised the hurt and discomfort that he caused persons.

“I said to myself that I have to change. I have decided that I want to be a better person,” Jonathan said, noting that he continues to change over time.

“To my principal, thank you for taking the time out of your busy days [to work with me], and allowing me to be in your school so that I could shine,” he said.

Elated by Jonathan’s transformation, Acting Chief Education Officer Dr Kasan Troupe said that the system “has been infused with skill sets to manage disruptive students,

“Our students have potential, but some are exposed to child-adverse experiences which can overwhelm many of their parents. So, from time to time we are going to have children who will challenge us, and will need more attention than others,” she pointed out.

In those challenging cases, Dr Troupe said, special attention can make a big difference, noting that Jonathan’s achievement is proof that no child should be left behind.

“This story is telling principals and teachers, don’t give up, try one more time,” she said.

The acting chief education officer said in the coming months there will be increased collaboration among deans of discipline, guidance counsellors, school nurses, and family life educators, to ensure that personal and challenging issues affecting students are “purposefully tackled with the available skills in the system”.

Meanwhile, Jonathan’smother shared that she always believed in her son’s ability to do good, and on the day when she heard of his success in the PEP exams, she reminded him that he has “so much in him”.

“He is a naturally gifted student; he just needed to do his work and calm down,” she noted.

She shared that as parents, they will redouble their efforts in the years ahead to ensure that he stays on track.

“We are the parents, and we have to make sure that we see the process through, and this is just the beginning,” she said.

Jonathan father expresses gratitude to the principal for “listening to the Lord and allowing the Lord to use her in the right way for [his son] to come around”.

He also thanks the grade six teacher for her support. “She is a wonderful teacher,” he said.

*Not real name