They were told to aim high. They did: Erin H. Gilmore School takes Top BJC Performance Award
For students at the Erin H. Gilmore School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the 2026 BJC examinations were about proving what is possible.
The school, led by Principal Kevin Cartwright, has received the 2026 top BJC School Performance Award, celebrating an achievement that reflects the determination of its students and the commitment of the educators who helped them get there.
Three students in particular—Quintino Barr, Kamall Forbes and Macken Louis—stood out, earning grades ranging from A to C in Mathematics and Health Science.
For their teachers, the achievement is a source of pride.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology praised Science teacher Byron Jones and Mathematics teacher Claudia Bain for their dedication, patience and hard work in preparing the students for the examinations.
But Cartwright says the results cannot be measured simply by the letters printed on examination certificates.
“They represent determination, perseverance, discipline, hard work, and the courage to keep striving for excellence,” he said.
And perhaps that philosophy explains why the school’s latest achievement means so much.
Cartwright has spent years building his leadership around a simple belief: students who are blind or visually impaired should not have their ambitions limited by their disabilities.
His journey as a Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired began with a commitment to ensuring students had equitable access to education, independence skills and opportunities to participate meaningfully in society.
Even after moving into administration, he has refused to become disconnected from the classroom.
“I believe that effective leadership in special education must remain connected to the classroom, to the lived experiences of students, and to the instructional realities faced by teachers,” Cartwright said earlier this year.
“Teaching is not separate from my leadership—it informs it.”
He served as Acting Principal from 2023 to 2025 before being formally appointed Principal in 2025.
Today, he describes his mission in terms of access, inclusion, equity and excellence.
The BJC results suggest that philosophy is producing something tangible.
