The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) has celebrated the achievements of 190 students in State care who completed the 2026 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations and are set to transition to high school in September.
The PEP Awards Ceremony was held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on Tuesday (August 11) under the theme – ‘The Next Chapter: Destined for Greatness’.
Each student was presented with a certificate and a school bag stocked with supplies.
Meanwhile, the national top-performing boy and girl, who earned places at St. George’s College and St. Jago High School, respectively, were each awarded a CPFSA trophy and a laptop donated by the National Education Trust (NET).
Both students were also recognised as the top-performing boy and girl in the South East Region.
The top-performing students from the North East Region secured placements at St. Mary Technical High School and Marcus Garvey Technical High School, while the top boy and girl from the
Southern Region earned places at May Day High School and Hampton School, respectively.
In the Western Region, the top-performing students will attend Cornwall College and Mount Alvernia High School.
Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, commended the students for their outstanding performance.
“Your achievement is remarkable and you should be extremely proud of yourselves,” she said.
The Minister’s remarks were delivered by Chair of the Child Care and Protection Advisory Council and Chair of the CPFSA Advisory Board, Dr. Diana Thorburn.
Dr. Morris Dixon urged the awardees not to spend their high school years comparing their journey to that of others.
“Instead, challenge yourselves to become better than the person you were yesterday – a little wiser, a little kinder, a little more disciplined and a little more courageous… because if you continue to grow, you will be amazed at the person you will become,” she said.
The Minister reasoned that the difference between success and failure is often nothing more than the determination to try one more time.
“So, when you don’t understand something, ask questions. When you need help, ask for it. When you make a mistake, learn from it and when life becomes difficult, as it will, remind yourself that you have overcome difficult moments before and you are capable of overcoming this one too,” she said.
As the students prepare to embark on their high school journey, Dr. Morris Dixon challenged them to ask themselves, “Who do I want to become?” and then make a conscious decision each day to move closer to that goal.
“If you want to be a leader, start leading. If you want to be an excellent student, build excellent habits. If you want to be successful, learn discipline. If you want to make a difference, start by making a difference in someone else’s life,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of the CPFSA, Laurette Adams-Thomas, congratulated the awardees for their determination and courage.
“We celebrate the hours you spent preparing, the challenges you faced, the moments when you may have doubted yourself and most importantly, the fact that you kept on going,” she said.
Keynote speaker, social worker, educator, and criminologist, Dr. Joanna Simpson, encouraged the awardees to see themselves as superheroes in high school, reminding them that God has called them to lead with purpose.
“You are on a mission. You are special, unstoppable, powerful, extraordinary and you are ready to take on any and every challenge,” she underscored.
Of the 190 PEP awardees, 67 reside in residential child-care facilities and places of safety, 73 are in foster care, 42 participate in the family reintegration programme, and eight are under supervision orders.
