Year 12 student named Dux at Francis Douglas Memorial College in Taranaki

Francis Douglas Memorial College principal Tim Stuck with Clarence Chan, the 2023 FDMC school Dux who is also head boy of the school for 2024.

Clarence Chan has an entire year left of his school career, but he has already achieved the highest academic honour at his high school - Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth.

At the school’s end-of-year prize-giving in late 2023, Clarence was named Dux - the school’s top academic student.

It is, says Francis Douglas Memorial College (FDMC) principal Tim Stuck, the first time in living memory the accolade has been awarded to a student in year 12, as opposed to year 13.

“It’s the first time at the school that I, or other staff members, can recall. There have certainly been some very bright young men that have come through this college, but they may not have had the opportunity to sit Level 3 a year early, or Bursary for those of us who are a wee bit older.”

Tim says while it may be unusual, the decision was obvious to all staff involved, with a “fine-grained analysis” of student responses to internals and in-class topic tests helping staff differentiate between what he terms “low and high-excellence results”.

“The Dux calculation involves assessing a student’s performance through the Grade Point Average (GPA), which is derived from Level 3 internal assessments and preliminary examination results. The GPA considers the credit value of each internal assessment and the equivalent external credit value of the preliminary exam. This holistic approach ensures that the Dux reflects a methodical and detailed evaluation of a student’s academic excellence, subject knowledge, and the quality and depth of their assessment responses.”

To be considered for Dux at FDMC, a student must also achieve first place in a Level 3 subject, something Clarence achieved in three of his subjects in 2023, as well as first place in Level 2 Biology.

While most students study Level 3 subjects in year 13, Clarence took three Level 3 subjects in year 12 - calculus, physics and English, achieving an Excellence endorsement in all three, as well as Excellence endorsements in his Level 2 subjects, biology and religious studies. The total number of Excellence credits he achieved in 2023 is an impressive 110.

Clarence says he’s still in “the decision phase” when it comes to future career plans, but he is leaning towards some form of engineering, be it medical or mechanical.

“I like problem-solving, and I really enjoy subjects that have clear answers like physics and maths.”

For his final year at school, Clarence will take religious education, statistics and biology at Level 3 as well as music, and some university papers through Canterbury University in maths and astronomy, the latter of which is something he hasn’t studied before.

“I haven’t taken that before so it’s a new challenge.”

While Tim says it was obvious to staff that Clarence should be the school’s 2023 Dux, Clarence says he hadn’t been confident himself.

“I hadn’t really thought about it at the start of the year. Then at parent-teacher interviews, my chemistry teacher Mrs Severinsen said it was a possibility, but even then, there are so many good candidates. I really think it could just as easily could have gone another way on the day.”

That Clarence is quick to point out many of his peers also excel academically isn’t a surprise to his principal, who uses the word humble when describing him.

“Clarence is an extremely well-rounded young man. Good at academics, sport and culture. He is also humble - possibly don’t get that mix too often. He is a good college man.”

Clarence’s fellow students also consider him to be a worthy recipient of the award, with the loud applause greeting the Dux announcement only topped by the applause following another announcement at the prize-giving - naming Clarence as the 2024 head boy for the school.

While it’s an achievement Clarence says he has been working towards throughout his time at the school, he again points out the school had plenty of choice.

“There’s so many students at the school who offer skills and leadership. So while it’s something I hoped to achieve, I knew it wouldn’t be easy.”

Clarence was ambasssador leader - the equivalent to head student - at his primary school in Taranaki, St John Bosco, before he moved to FDMC for his high school years, and it was that, he says, which set him on the leadership path.

“At primary school originally I was aiming to be tech leader in year 6, but then I was told to apply for the ambassador role, I did, and I got it, at which point these leadership opportunities became a real possibility, instead of just a hopeful dream, so when I came to FDMC, I looked up at those student leaders in year 13 and considered what type of leader I could be in the future.”

Now, as the 2024 head boy for FDMC, Clarence says he hopes to bring a range of leadership styles to the role.

“There is servant leadership which is really important, as well as peer leadership but also organisational leadership, bringing in a social aspect and being part of things, not just standing at the front. I want all students to see me not as head boy, but as a friend.”