Tobago students confident after SEA

TOBAGO students expressed joy and jubilation after completing the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam on April 10, adding they looked forward to relaxing and preparing to attend secondary school in September.

At 1 pm, the entrance gates of the Delaford RC opened, and students ran out. The exam which began shortly after 9 am, comprised three components: language arts, mathematics and creative writing.

One student, 12-year-old Hayden Kennedy said he did his best.

“The exam wasn’t a challenge at all but there were some questions that I had difficulty with. In section three, there was this one question that I didn’t understand but I still attempted it.”

Aniya Ferguson said he wanted to pass for the Scarborough Secondary School.

“It was good. Some of the questions were easy. I am glad that this is over, so now I am now going to prepare for Secondary School.”

In the West, Newsday caught up with Jiselle Webster whose son JNoah Lewis attends James School of Excellence in Calder Hall. Webster said she was well-pleased.

“He has invested tremendous effort and made many sacrifices, including evening and weekends with the unwavering support of his dedicated teacher, Miss James. I'm truly grateful to God that this chapter is complete and that he can now enjoy a much-deserved vacation.”

While Lewis said: “I feel good and thanks to God, it’s all over. I did it.”

Meantime, there were, hugs, kisses, fist bumps, cheers and laughter outside of the Scarborough RC School as parents collected their children. Some of the parents surprised them with cake and snacks while others had balloons.

The students there expressed mixed reviews about the exam.

Jhequan Ogiste said the entire SEA was “good,” but English was the easiest subject.

He said Mathematics was “a little difficult.”

Gabriel Gift disagreed.

“Maths was easy and I think I got my first choice, Bishop’s.”

Phenice said she did her best.

“Whatever school I pass for, I pass for. As my mother says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and be anxious for nothing.”

Salisha Mc Dougall, whose son, Clevon, wrote the exam, said he was a very diligent student.

“He was preparing since standard three. He would have gone to evening classes. We, as the parents, would have done our part. So I believe he is confident, and I know he will go to Bishop's High School, which is his first choice,” she told Newsday.

Clevon’s father, Clinton Thomas, praised Salisha for doing good work with their son.

“So I am confident that he would be successful and he would pass for the school of his choice.”

A parent, who only gave her name as Miss Joseph, said she was grateful the exam was over.

“I had one daughter that did it when we had SEA in covid and the syllabus was less than it is now. I am just thankful for the teachers that she had,” she said.

She said the support group also helped with the extra classes.

“Dropping off and picking up, it was a lot for the parents. But for the children, it’s over now. Thank God they have had the experience and we just pray for the best. It is all in God’s hands now.”

Asked to respond to the view that the SEA should be replaced, the parent said, “I think we all need a metric system to be able to test the students to make sure that they are learning and taking in what the teachers and the school is bringing forth to them. If not SEA, we can go for something else. But right now, if it’s not broken, why fix it?”

TTUTA Tobago officer Bradon Roberts said many of the students felt the mathematics component of the exam was more difficult than they expected.

“Interacting with the kids and the teachers, the indication from the children is that the maths was harder than they thought it would have been but they believe they did well,” he said.

“Some of them referred to a particular item number that was a little more challenging than the others. But they said they enjoyed the language and the creative writing. I was informed that the three topics that were given as options were good topics for children to express themselves with. So I trust that these children would have taken the opportunity to show what they have learnt.”

Roberts said he did not see that much anxiety among students this year.

“Even when I talked to the principals, most of them indicated that the children were calm and weren’t alarmed about anything. They said they had little things to sort out but it didn’t affect the children, they weren’t aware and everything just flowed smoothly.”

The Division of Education, Research and Technology, in a statement on April 10, said a total of 1,006 students were registered to sit the exam, including 551 boys and 455 girls.

Among them, it said, there were 35 private candidates, all of whom were accommodated across 40 examinations centres.

To ensure “smooth and standardised” operations, the division said it hosted a comprehensive training session for SEA personnel on April 3 at Shaw Park Cultural Complex.