Monicaa Ramesh of Beau Vallon secondary school was crowned Best Secondary Learner of 2025 at a ceremony held on Tuesday at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education, where she received the Minister’s Cup from Minister for Education and Human Resource Development David Pierre. The achievement solidifies her as the top-ranked secondary-level student in Seychelles, based on her performance in the November 2025 Cambridge International examinations.
As part of her prize, Monicaa received a Seypec gift voucher, an Air Seychelles goodie bag and a Certificate of Excellence presented by Arnold Chang-Pen-Tive, director general for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment. She also emerged as the top performer in IGCSE Biology, Chemistry and ICT, jointly topped Physics, and won the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award for being Top in Seychelles in IGCSE Chemistry. She will now pursue A Levels, keeping her subject choices broad to maintain future options, with a particular interest in medicine.
The ceremony, which honoured students from both public and private schools alongside the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards, was attended by principal secretary for General Education and Curriculum Dr Justin Zelime, principal secretary for Educational Support and Projects Bernard Arnephy, principal secretary for Human Resource Development and Administration Jean Alcindor, and special advisor to the Minister John Lesperance. The annual awards sit inside Cambridge International’s global Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards programme, which recognises the highest-performing students in each country and across the world for the previous November and June examination series, as Cambridge International describes the programme.
National rankings in the Best Secondary Learner category placed JeanYves Georges Martial Souris of Ile Perseverance secondary school second, with a Seypec voucher, Air Seychelles goodie bag, Certificate of Excellence from DG Chang-Pen-Tive and a shield from PS Zelime. Chris Adam Francourt of Anse Royale secondary school placed third, with PS Arnephy presenting his shield. Other Top in Seychelles winners included Damian Govinden and Enrico Anthony of Seychelles Mahé Independent School, who jointly placed first globally in Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (Speaking Endorsement), and Rachel Annalise Laura Savy of the same school, who ranked joint eighth globally in Cambridge International AS Level Travel and Tourism while being named Top in Seychelles for IGCSE First Language English and High Achievement in Literature.
The Best Across Eight IGCSEs category was won by Jasmine Kaylee Marie Constant of Mahé Independent School, who also took Top in Seychelles for ICT. Ellie Kiana Colleen Mondon (Mahé Independent) won Best Across Seven IGCSEs, and placed Top in Seychelles for Biology, Geography and Physics, with High Achievement in Environmental Management. At AS and A Level, Ceetra Debbie Accouche (Mahé Independent) won Best Across Three AS Levels, with High Achievement in Business, Geography and Literature, while Reuban James Daniel Reddy (Mahé Independent) won Best Across Three A Levels and was Top in Seychelles for Mathematics. Shaun Olivier Jude Leste (Mahé Independent) placed second in Best Across Seven and was Top in Seychelles for Business Studies.
Rangan Ruhi Sree Pandu placed second, topping Biology, while Benjamin Gino Chris Gonzalves placed third, earning High Achievement in Physics. Outside the IGCSE ranks, High Achievement awards went to Alyssa Ina Charlette (AS Biology, Environmental Science), Sahana Pillay (AS Chemistry), Eliana Candice Mootosamy (French) and Tyra Neesha Telemaque (History), with Chris Francourt (Anse Royale) topping IGCSE Mathematics. The Cambridge IGCSE November 2025 results statistics, which sit behind the country-level rankings, are published openly by Cambridge International and feed the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards cycle, as the November 2025 official results statistics show.
The annual Seychelles ceremony has become a regular recognition event. Last year’s ceremony, held in May 2025 at State House, honoured the November 2024 cohort and was hosted by then-President Wavel Ramkalawan and First Lady Linda Ramkalawan, with top performers including Laurent Joseph and Shaun Leste, who jointly secured first place globally in their respective subjects, State House recorded on 30 May 2025. The Cambridge IGCSE November 2025 results statistics, which sit behind the country-level rankings, are published openly by Cambridge International and feed the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards cycle, as the November 2025 official results statistics show.
Sources cited: Cambridge International, Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards programme (https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/support-and-training-for-schools/support-for-teachers/results/outstanding-cambridge-learner-awards/); Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE November 2025 results statistics PDF (https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/754771-cambridge-igcse-november-2025-results-statistics.pdf); State House (Seychelles), 30 May 2025, President Ramkalawan Honours Seychelles’ Top Cambridge Achievers (https://www.statehouse.gov.sc/news/6486/president-ramkalawan-honours-seychelles-top-cambridge-achievers); Africa Newsroom, 30 May 2025, President Ramkalawan Honours Seychelles’ Top Cambridge Achievers (https://www.africa-newsroom.com/press/president-ramkalawan-honours-seychelles-top-cambridge-achievers?lang=en).
