Queries on online release of SEA results

The nationwide anxiety felt by both parents and SEA students on Monday – after the Ministry of Education's online SEA results portal crashed – could and should have been prevented with better planning by that ministry prior to the release of the exam results.

In making this point, Tabaquite MP and the Opposition's shadow education minister Anita Haynes said greater consideration must be given to ensure all digital platforms have the operational capacity and can function at optimum, if the state is really serious about digital transformation.

Asked for her views on Tuesday about the failure of the ministry's online system a day earlier, she said, "I think it is a management issue because we know how many students wrote that exam and people were given access to the portals. It was just to make sure the system could have facilitated the volume in a short space of time. My hope going forward is that this could be corrected."

She said only when data is used to drive policy, would there be proper outcomes.

"If they (the ministry) had used the data they had with respect to SEA students and principals, we should have seen a more seamless transition to the online system."

Although she understands the calls being made for in-person collection of results, Haynes said she believes that with time, there will be an increasing reliance on digital technology to carry out processes such as relaying of exam results.

"I understand some secondary schools are already using digital means for registration, so I think it is something we have to go a little bit more accustomed to. But the only way people – parents or teachers – can grow more comfortable is if we have a more seamless transition."

Haynes also congratulated all SEA students who had two years of online learning before going back into the physical system post-Covid.

Principal of the Pinehaven SDA Primary School Linda Tobias suggested the ministry create virtual zones in the educational districts and with this, a timed schedule for the release of SEA exam results to ensure the online platforms are not overwhelmed by the rush to log-in at the time time.

The portals came into effect at 12 noon on Monday but quickly crashed as parents tried to log-in at the same time to get their children's results.

"They need to stagger the time in which the information is released," she said, adding that each virtual zone would have a specific time in which the SEA results would be released.

Tobias said while digital transformation is a step in the right direction for the country, she reminded that not everyone has access to internet and/or digital devices. For this segment of society, an in-person option should be available for the collection of the SEA exam results.

Catholic Education Board of Management CEO Sharon Mangroo agreed with Tobias.

"Although devices were made available to many students, we found that even though we did that, there was still not enough and connectivity was a big issue. Even when people were given connectivity at subsidised prices, they were not able to sustain it because the cost was too high for them."

Mangroo said there was no formal arrangement for students and parents to get results through the schools and that going forward, there needs to be a standard system and proper communication, so people would know what their options are.