SEA results out on October 8

File photo: SEA students of Sacred Heart Girls RC School, Port of Spain, give the thumbs up after finishing the exam in August. - SUREASH CHOLAI
File photo: SEA students of Sacred Heart Girls RC School, Port of Spain, give the thumbs up after finishing the exam in August. - SUREASH CHOLAI

Students who sat the August 20 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam will get their results on October 8.

This was revealed by recently appointed Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly.

In a press conference at the Ministry of Education, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain, Gadsby-Dolly, fielding questions from the media, said the Government is considering narrowing the curriculum of the exam.

She explaind this mean not necessarily changing the format, but reducing the number of topics to be examined. She said this was in recognition of the fact that the school year had been disrupted and children sitting the exam in 2021 and 2022 will also be affected.

Education stakeholders have also asked for the exam to also take place at a later date in 2021, as was done this year. Gadsby-Dolly said a final decision will be taken on that.

But the SEA is not the only exam that may be adjusted.

She said School-Based Assessments (SBAs), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) with practical components have been postponed until term two in the present circumstances.

Gadsby-Dolly said teachers are being asked to go ahead with the theory component for th coming term and the practical can be picked up in the following term.

She added that the reduction of the practical components was recommended to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

There was also a question mark over field trips and whether virtual field trips can be used.

“That representation on behalf of TT will be made. CXC, of course, deals with regional exams and so we will expect them to give our recommendations some consideration,” she said.

While children wait for exam results, Gadsby-Dolly expects parents to step in.

Educational material will be available on TV, radio and online that children can access.

“We are asking parents not to allow them to lie fallow. Allow them to engage themselves in some of the material that will be made available, so that they can keep their skills up, so when they get into that environment in form one, in the middle of October or so...they will not be left too far behind.”

But she also said the children came through a very stressful time and should be allowed some time for relaxation.

“They were very courageous. It was a very difficult thing when you are two weeks away from exams, that you prepare so hard for, you to have to wait and so on. So we expect that they will have some down time but they can also avail themselves of the information that will be presented for our students.”

Asked if there will be overall changes to the SEA exam, Gadsby Dolly said the SEA debate is a longstanding one and focus was instead being placed on getting through the process of teaching and learning itself.

“Certainly having to transition this way through online learning – and what we intend is the blended learning, that would be the best solution and the best way forward, the best practice for students – the SEA exam, in the context of that, will be considered.”

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