Tobago students improve SEA performance

SOME 999 students in Tobago have received their Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination results.

The results were released on June 27 shortly after 11 pm, as it was a shift away from the norm as the results were made available via the Ministry of Education’s online portal.

In a statement on June 28, the THA Division of Education, Research and Technology congratulated the students.

It said, “A hearty congratulations is being extended to all students who have excelled in this year’s examination. This success is just the beginning. As they start secondary school, they have the opportunity to reset and strive for continued excellence.”

The division also thanked parents for their support and urged them to begin preparations for their child/children's entry into secondary school.

“Parental enthusiasm and high expectations will inspire and support children as they transition to the next level of their educational journey.

"The division is committed to increasing supervision, monitoring, and evaluation to ensure lasting improvements in student, teacher, and school performance. This collaborative effort calls for all stakeholders to embrace the aspiration of educational excellence on the island.”

The statement also noted significant gains in the SEA results adding that this year's results for Tobago schools showed remarkable improvements.

It said, “The average overall total score increased from 191.58 in 2022 to 193.88 in 2023, and now stands at 196.64 in 2024. This represents an increase of 2.76 mean score points over the past year and a cumulative improvement of 5.06 mean score points since 2022. Tobago's average score of 196.64 is now just 3.36 mean score points below the national mean of 200 points.”

Reflecting on the gains of the past two years, the division said it aimed to continue the momentum with the goal of matching and exceeding the national mean each year.

“Notably, the number of Tobago schools performing at or above the national mean increased from seven in 2023 to 11 in 2024.

“These schools are Castara Government, Buccoo Government, Scarborough RC, St Nicholas Private, Signal Hill Government, Bethesda Government, Mt St George Methodist, Speyside AC, St Andrews AC, Delaford AC, and Belle Garden AC. Out of these 11, five schools maintained their high performance from 2023 to 2024: Buccoo Government, Scarborough RC, St Nicholas Private, Signal Hill Government and Bethesda Government.”

Additionally, the division pointed to six schools achieving the benchmark in 2024 that were not on the list in 2023. Five of those schools are from East Tobago: Castara Government, Mount St George Methodist, Speyside AC, Delaford AC, and Belle Garden AC. The sixth is St Andrews AC in Scarborough.

It said despite the gains, 32 students who scored under 30 per cent have been recommended to re-sit the examination. To support those students, the division said it would once again implement Project IMPACT during the vacation period which will focus on literacy and numeracy, life skills development, and technical/vocational skills, ensuring individual attention and effective support for each student’s specific challenges.

“The vacation remedial classes have demonstrated their effectiveness through positive impacts on student attitudes and teacher feedback.”

A further analysis of the results, it said would be presented at a media conference scheduled for next week.