Too much pressure on SEA students

It is surely not the exam itself, with the three error questions, that is the cause for worry now but those particular questions. In other words, students vying for top spots would have been seriously thrown off by those questions since the margin of error for the top spot is less than one point.

Many would like to give the impression that it is “just another exam” or “is only the first hurdle in life” of which there are many others to come. But consider the vast amount of attention and publicity given this “minor” hurdle in the lives of very young and impressionable minds.

There is so much emphasis on the top spots and even the first 100 or 200 students that we have all gotten caught up in the melee to grab those top spots. Almost all schools tell their students they will be tops this year or next year. It has been made so competitive that life is put on hold by entire families prior to the actual exam day.

This is indeed too much pressure for young 10-12-year-olds to handle.

It’s as if students who do not make this top 200 are second class students or have failed the expectations of parents and teachers. They are given places in secondary schools, yes, but what about the psychological impact on these children? It is laudable that the last minister of education tried to relieve this stress with the introduction of the Continuous Assessment Component which would have seen an eradication to this all-inone- day exam and the insurmountable stress and anxiety for that one day.

But that seems a very long way off now since we have been forced back to square one. My suggestion is, since we cannot have a political solution to the problem (which was created to suit adults), to respect the privacy of the young ones and not over-politicise and publicise the results after the children have tried their best. They should be given the respect to enjoy the fruits of their efforts in privacy.

WKS HOSEIN Chaguanas