SEA results July 3

Results of this year’s Secondary Entrance Assess-ment (SEA) will be released on July 3, and not on June 27 as  reported. At the same time, Education Minister Hazel Manning at the post Cabinet press conference denied a report in yesterday’s Guardian, which claimed there was a shortfall in the number of places for the students who wrote this year’s SEA. Instead, the Minister reaffirmed that all students would gain a  place in a secondary institutions.

Communications Assistant Hilton Braveboy yesterday said there was never any delay with regards to the results, as there had never been any intention on the part of the ministry to release the results today. “These false claims  only served to create panic and chaos among both parents and students,” stated a source at the Ministry of Education, “whilst forcing the Minister to implement damage control tactics.” Manning  also said the erroneous report had gotten information mixed up, and confirmed that construction work was currently being done at various schools. However, she stressed that it was being done on Form Six Blocks, and not on additions expected for Form One’s.

A release from the Ministry stated that 21,912 places existed at both private and public secondary schools throughout TT, and that 20,669 students had written the exam.Explaining that the only shortfall existed in the Caroni area as there were only 3,009 places in schools within that area, Mrs Manning stressed that the ministry would try its best to place the excess 153 students in schools closest to their homes. She said that in the other seven zones, there were excess places to accommodate this move. For example in south east Trinidad, she said, there were 1,554 places, an excess of 90. The release further stated that 20,300 places existed at government and government-assisted secondary schools, whilst 1,575 places were available at private secondary schools, the Servol Junior Life Centres and at pre-vocational schools.The release concluded that computer and science laboratories in several schools were being upgraded, and that rehabilitation works to improve security and cafeteria facilities were underway.