Futility tests

These standards of evaluation are separatist, obsolete, demoralising, and demotivating to say the least.

I refer to the evaluations from the Secondary Entrance Assessment straight to the Caribbean Examination Council levels. Our education system has contributed to undue anxiety and stress upon our children. I am not an education specialist. However, I am a past student, having undertaken these stress- filled evaluations, and now a parent, having experienced the ridiculous schedules, burdensome homework assignments, and tiresome expectation of ‘extra lessons.’ As a child, I recall preparing for what were the Common Entrance examinations, and remembering making one error, in which I did not understand the word ‘thaw’. I recall arguing with my mother and blaming her for not pronouncing the word properly, leading to me not being able to adequately recall the word’s proper usage and meaning.

I never forgot that day when we were all corralled into the primary school courtyard, and our results read out for all to hear.

Needless to say, I cried like a baby when I heard I had ‘passed,’ for what used to be San Juan Government Secondary School. This school however later turned out to be very close to what a real educational institute should look like – and perhaps one of the best kept secrets of educational excellence in Trinidad and Tobago.

The experience of primary to secondary school examinations, were replicated when my son had to undergo the robust preparation for the now SEA examinations. My son, from his first entry into the school system, resisted this format of education from the onset. It took me short order to understand that our standard style of education was not designed for his learning style. It was simply different. Our system is not fully equipped to facilitate different learning styles. From an early age, I noticed his amazing capacity to absorb statistics, study facts, and recall events, dates, and occurrences from even before he was born, simply by a quick review, then astounding recall. This uncanny ability, all related to the one thing he was passionate about – football.

This young man took every opportunity to relate all projects, essays, stories, homework to his passion. Once his father and I understood the depth of this passion – we made the decision from a very early stage that this is what we would harness. This is not to state that the educational system will be ignored because, as unpleasant and tedious the experience was for him, he in fact went on to pass for his first school of choice, and we are bound to ensure it is completed. However, it will never define him. He will be defined by the manner with which he utilizes the tools and opportunities presented to feed his passion – not a singular examination outcome.

I felt compelled to present this view as I noted a few reactions to the recently released CXC examinations, and it continues to irk me that our children are defined by these evaluations. We are not taught enough of who we are, of our history, and not our history as defined, of those who preceded us in Trinidad and Tobago, of how we can monetize and develop our National instruments, of our heritage and culture, of civics, and of how to behave as civilized human beings.

Our children should be afforded the opportunity to be evaluated from an early age to identify their passion and to nurture that energy and drive toward fulfilling that passion, be it sport, culture, arts and letters, academics, or whatever field chosen to pursue