CAC not the answer

THE EDITOR: I have heard many opinions expressed about the Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) of the SEA Exam. Only last Sunday the former education minister was live on radio for more than one hour criticising his successor for stopping the CAC.

However, many teachers and principals, are aware that nothing about the CAC helped students to read and write. Actually, the two most critical areas of literacy and numeracy were never addressed.

This exercise introduced by Dr Gopeesingh was very costly since it required additional training of teachers, hiring of extra staff as monitors, purchase of sport items such as balls, rackets; musical equipment like drums; sport equipment; and other materials for all primary schools.

It was good that greater emphasis was placed on the arts, drama, physical education and sport, however, the main problem for students who scored under 30 per cent is that they cannot read, write and do basic mathematics. So, giving extra marks for activities such as catching a ball, only inflated students overall scores for automatic promotion.

I am glad to see the Ministry of Education is taking steps to provide support in specific areas to help students who scored below 30 per cent in the 2018 SEA. Interventions such as giving them an additional year, placing them in Servol Junior Life Centres and government secondary schools where an adapted Form One curriculum will focus on numeracy, literacy, visual and performing arts and technology education are all very specific and timely interventions for these students.

These results will not be immediate but I am glad the ministry has recognised that our weak students have specific challenges and they need individual attention.

Aaron Price, Rio Claro