Haynes wants transparency from Education Ministry after SEA top-scorer mix-up

TABAQUITE MP Anita Haynes is calling on the Ministry of Education to clarify the confusion surrounding the top scorer in the 2020 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam.

On Tuesday, the ministry rescinded a March 31 letter of invitation which indicated the 2020 top scorer, Ameera Beekhoo, would now receive the second-place President’s Medal (Silver) at a ceremony on Monday, at President’s House.

The new letter said Beekhoo would receive the President’s Medal (Gold) on Monday. The about-turn came after attorneys representing Beekhoo’s parents threatened to go to court for an injunction to stop Monday’s ceremony.

Beekhoo placed first in 2020 in the SEA exam. On October 8, 2020, Beekhoo, a former student of the San Fernando TML and now Naparima Girls High School, attended an awards ceremony at the Ministry of Education where she was named top SEA student for 2020. She received a laptop, a cellphone and a bmobile internet contract.

However, on March 31, an invitation sent to the principal of the San Fernando TML, Wahinda Mohammed-Narine, for a ceremony on April 11 at President’s House, said Beekhoo will receive the President’s Medal (Silver) for placing “second” at the SEA 2020.

On April 4, attorneys Anand Ramlogan,SC, and Jared Jagroo, who are representing Beekhoo’s parents wrote to the ministry expressing confusion and said the issue was much more than the award itself.

“It is passing strange that the MOE is now advising for the first time that their daughter placed second and not first. The recent demotion of our clients’ daughter is even more questionable given the length of time that has elapsed since the 2020 SEA,” Jagroo wrote.

It has since been revealed that following a re-mark/review of exam scripts, another student of a private primary school in Port of Spain had attained the marks for the top spot at the 2020 exam.

His primary school principal also received a letter on March 31, from acting Chief Education Officer Lisa Henry-David, inviting him to Monday’s award ceremony to receive the “President’s Medal (Gold) for placing first in the Secondary Entrance Assessment 2020.”

In her statement, Haynes said, “This major mix up, which culminated in legal action, was poorly handled by the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, their abrupt turnaround on a decision that took two years to make not only compounds the issue, it also raises new questions about how that decision was made and whether other students have been affected.”

She called for transparency from the ministry.

“In addition to causing undue stress to the identified students and family members, this matter has fueled the lack of public confidence in the education ministry. A number of parents have contacted me about querying their child's exam results and criticising the SEA format in light of the ministry’s further fumbling of this grading mix-up.”

Questions have been sent to Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly on the mix-up.