[UPDATED] SEA date set for June 10, 2021

The Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) date for 2021 will be June 10. A memo obtained by Newsday, issued to principals by Chief Education Officer Lisa Henry David, also said a revised assessment framework for SEA 2021-2023 has been done and reflects changes in content and the number of items in the test.

The original format of the exam is divided into three subject areas: English language arts writing, English language arts and mathematics. The memo said the impact of covid19 on the education system led to the adjustments.

It said the revised assessment addressed the “purpose, components, format and content of the SEA.”

President of the Primary School Principals’ Association Lance Mottley told Newsday in a brief phone interview on Wednesday that education stakeholders were called to a meeting with the ministry to look at the revisions before it was sent out to principals. He said the ministry took their recommendations and applied it to the revised framework.

Although he could not disclose the details of the revisions made, he said principals are “by and large satisfied with it thus far.”

He said stakeholders asked for the exam to be pushed back as close as possible to the end of the third term, but it was not logistically possible.

He said the revisions were not permanent, but rather made specifically because of the impact of covid19.

“We recognised it would have impacted, not just the standard fives’ but the standard fours’ now, plus the standard threes’ who will be writing in 2022 and possibly in 2023 so I don’t see the changes being permanent but there might be some things (to change) as we go along, of course.”

He said stakeholders would continue to have discussions with the ministry to ensure students were not disadvantaged in any way.

The revised assessment will be sent to all primary school principals, both public and private, and will be posted on the Ministry of Education’s website.