By Deon Green, Freelance Writer
LONDON, ENGLAND:
JAMAICA-BORN student Michael Bent was among the best performers in Advanced Level examinations in Britain this year.
However, he will not be able to take his place at Oxford next semester because he has not been living in England long enough.
Born in Hamilton Gardens, St. Catherine, 18-year-old Bent, who gained four 'A' Levels all at Grade 'A' in the recent examinations here, is considered 'one of the best amongst the best' and a model for other students in Britain.
His outstanding achievements were in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Information Technology. Of note was that he opted to sit Mathematics without the assistance of a teacher.
Before his 'A' Level successes, Bent gained nine Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) subjects, inclusive of seven distinctions and two credits, at Wolmer's Boys School, which he attended before migrating to England two years ago.
MEDICAL DOCTOR
His success has gained him a place at Oxford University where he intends to study Material Science, having abandoned his first ambition of becoming a medical doctor.
Despite the success, Bent will not be able to take up the much sought-after university place because he has only been in England for two years and is considered an international student. He would have to pay about 9,000 pounds sterling per year, which his family is unable to afford.
While his teachers have been looking for sponsors, Bent said he may have to work for a year and wait until he has completed three years living in England to pay a subsidised fee, as is the option available to British students.
Bent told The Gleaner his pass in Mathematics was done single-handedly.
"There was a clash in the timetable which didn't allow me to do Mathematics and Physics, so I had to do it (Mathematics) myself. It was the easier option, as I had less reading to do," he said.
How difficult was it?
"It was challenging, but all I did was put my head down and do the work," he said.
What of the other subjects?
MANAGEABLE
"They weren't easy but they were manageable," he said.
But, what has inspired this youngster, who was an only child until two years ago when his brother was born?
"My mother. She has been my strength. She has continuously told me that I can achieve anything I want. She assisted me in every way. She is a teacher, and even when she didn't know about the subject I was doing, she would get help for me. Even now she continues to support me," he said speaking of his mother, Clorine Blake.
Bent had high praise for the Jamaican education system and the teachers who set the basis for his success, even at Vaz Preparatory School which he first attended.
According to him, studying in England is completely different from Jamaica. He said in Jamaica, the examination was less structured and if you have a bad day and fail the exam on that day, you have failed: "But here, the marking is done in modules, making examination in Jamaica much more difficult."
"The teaching in Jamaica is better than here however, as the teachers teach and are more in control of their students," Bent said.
Apart from his family, Bent attributes his success to his chemistry teacher, Barbadian Andrew Jones.
"He (Mr. Jones) took me under his wings when I came here. He guided me, as I was new to the system and he made me stay out of trouble."
And his message for Jamaican students, "I was given the opportunity and thank God I am blessed with the ability, but people need to find a way to survive, a better way than drugs or violence as there is always another way."
WONDER BOY
Mr. Jones told The Gleaner that Bent can best be described as a hard working "wonder boy" who wasted no time with his schoolwork, while having time to enjoy himself. He said Bent's work in Chemistry was the best he had ever seen from a student.
"He is the best amongst the best. To get into that place (Oxford University), where on an average 300 students have applied for 20 places, he is among the best in this country," the teacher said.
Head teacher, Sir Allan Davies of Copland Community School and Technology Foundation in Wembley, said of the young man: "He worked extra hard, he is a model to all students, he has set the standard by showing other students that it is possible to get into Oxford University with hard work."
The United Kingdom had it's best 'A' level result in 20 years, of which three students from Copland Community School were accepted into Oxford University. About 50 students at the school sat the 'A' level with an average pass of over 90 per cent.
The school is considered one of the most ethnic diverse institutions in England being 65 per cent bilingual and having a population of about 1,600 students from which 91 per cent come from ethnic minorities of Caribbean nationals, Asians and Africans.
