WITH October 8 set as the release date for SEA exam results, parents are being encouraged to ensure their children use the materials provided for their learning as they prepare to enter secondary school.
This was the advice from Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, as she spoke at the Ministry’s media conference on Friday.
She said the new term would begin on September 1 and end on December 11 which meant that SEA students had to wait for their results.
But, Gadsby-Dolly said, “I see results are expected on October 8 and so we would expect that at this time parents again would step in. The material again will be available on TV (television), material would be available on the radio, so we are asking parents not to just let them lie fallow.”
“Allow them to engage themselves in some of the material that will be available so that they will keep their skills up, so that when they get into that environment for Form One down to the middle of October or so that they would not be left too far behind the system,” she added.
However, Gadsby-Dolly said, “But of course we know they came through a very stressful time and so they have to be allowed some time for relaxation. They were very courageous. It was a very difficult thing when they were two weeks away from an exam that you prepare so hard for to have to wait.”
She said, “We expect that they would have some downtime but they can also avail themselves of the information that would be presented for our students.”
Moving forward, she hinted at some changes to come regarding the SEA exam, “With respect to SEA, already we are considering reducing or narrowing the curriculum, not necessarily changing the format of the exam that students have become accustomed to but reducing the number of topics that will be examined in admission of the fact we have had some disruption in the school year.”
“That of course will be for 2021 and 2022 because those students would also be affected, who are going into Standard Four now. Representation has been made for SEA to take place later in the year as it was for this year and so a final decision would be taken on that as well,” Gadsby-Dolly said.
And students will not be required to do School Based Assessments (SBAs) or Labs when classes resume online, in September.
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, schools were closed in March and this forced education stakeholders to transition from a physical space into a virtual one.
Speaking on the practical components of CSEC, CAPE and CVQ courses, Gadsby-Dolly said, “All the CSEC, CAPE and CVQ courses that have the practical components, those we are postponing until term two in the present circumstances.”
She said, “We are asking teachers to go forward with the theory for this term and we will pick up the practical next term. What is also being done is that a recommendation is also being made to CXC with respect to reduction of the practical components.”
“There is also an issue about field trips and whether virtual field trips can be used so that representation on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago (TT) will be made to CXC of course CXC deals with regional exams and we will expect them to give our recommendation some consideration,” the Minister added.
