Don’t get me wrong. It was utterly shameful for the Ascot principal to brand some of his own students as failures, as lesser beings. He should be removed from office immediately given his complete lack of empathy and basic understanding of child development.

But much the same is happening in primary schools across Jamaica. At Leavers’ Day ceremonies, the more academically able collect prize after prize while others leave empty-handed. A few may receive awards for effort, behaviour, or helpfulness, but these are seen as less significant. Students are then sent off with hopes of gaining entry to a prestigious high school. The implication is that those who do not have somehow failed. The effects can be devastating.

The divisiveness of the Common Entrance era remains with us. Society still tends to regard a minority as winners and the majority as also-rans. Many parents lose faith in their children’s potential far too early. Examinations, beginning in the primary grades, reinforce these perceptions and encourage life-defining labels.