Statistics from the Ministry’s Division of Educational Research and Evaluation, Garcia said, shows that students scored higher in 2017 than in 2016, and the performance in English Language Arts improved this year with a greater percentage of students scoring above 50 percent and 90 percent.

The Form One Initiative which was conceived in response to data from the 2016 SEA, Garcia said, will again be used to identify students with numeracy and literacy deficits who are about to enter the secondary school system.

Diagnostic tests will also be done to identify specific content and skill gaps among students in Mathematics and English Language Arts inclusive of Creative Writing.

Teacher training will also be conducted to equip teachers with skills and strategies to help students fill the knowledge gap.

Meanwhile, the statistics showed significant improvement in the 90 percent and over and 50 percent and over in English Language Arts from 2010 to 2017.

In Mathematics, 14.3 percent of students scored above 90 percent compared to 12.2 percent in 2016. This was the highest percentage scored in this band since 2014 when 17.7 percent of students scored above 90 percent. The statistics also show that in 2012, 19.2 percent scored above 90 percent, and in 2011, a total of 21.1 percent scored over 90 percent.

In English Language Arts, 14.7 percent scored above 90 percent in 2017 compared to 0.8 percent last year. This was the highest percentage of students in this band for the period 2010 to 2017.

The passes had been between 1.3 percent at the lowest in 2013 to 3.4 percent in 2015.

A total of 63.2 percent of students scored above 50 percent in Mathematics in 2017 compared to 64.9 percent in 2016. This was the lowest percentage of students scoring in this band between 2010 and 2017. The other highest score was in 2011 at 73.1 percent and the lowest in 2014 at 63.7 percent.

The percentage of students who scored above 50 percent in English Language Arts was 76.4 percent in 2017 compared to 62.9 percent in 2016. This was the highest percentage of students in this band for the period 2010 to 2017. The other highest was 72.8 percent in 2015 and the lowest in 2012 at 62.2 percent.

The percentage of students scoring 30 percent or less in Mathematics was 18.6 percent in 2017 compared to 14.4 percent in 2016. This was the highest percentage in this band since 2014 when 19.1 percent of students scored 30 percent or less.

The number of students who scored 30 percent or less in English Language Arts was 10.1 percent in 2017 compared to 13.5 percent in 2016. This was the lowest percentage of students in this band since 2013 when 10 percent of students scored 30 percent or less.

This was expressed yesterday by Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly at the formal opening of a handicraft symposium titled “Craft and the Economy – Towards Diversification and Development” at Hilton, Port-of- Spain.

Gadsby-Dolly said the creative industry can change the current economic situation on both a micro and macro level.

“Since mid-2014 our country continues to be challenged with the effects of the sharp fall in oil and gas prices, as well as the decline in the production of both crude oil and natural gas,” she said.

“This not-so-new paradigm is therefore forcing Trinidad and Tobago to examine alternate sources of income.” She said in the coming months the ministry intends to launch a craft market at its office in St Ann’s and will invite the corporate sector to partner with them as they push the industry further by providing a consistent, dependable space for artisans to showcase their work to the national public.

Gadsby-Dolly said it is a substantial medium which preserves rich traditional art, heritage and culture, traditional skills and talents which are associated with this country’s lifestyle and history.

She said the handicraft sector can provide employment opportunities and enhance living standards; thereby making a positive impact on economic development of the State, and it can also be a viable medium for foreign earning.

“The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts is providing a platform to brainstorm, and to discuss the best ways to improve the business environment in an integrated manner.

As partners with the artisans, we need to examine the creation of markets for handicraft made in Trinidad and Tobago; we must discuss how to encourage and foster entrepreneurship in this industry as well as what should be the ministry’s and by extension the Government’s role in facilitating this success.” Gadsby-Dolly said the ultimate output from the two-day symposium should be a list of priorities to commercialise this country’s traditional handicraft, and the basis of a strategic plan to move forward.

The Freedom Run has attracted a number of top runners throughout the country including Guyana’s Lionel D’andrade and Arimian April Francis to name a few. The fitness enthusiasts are also welcome with medals for all finishers as well.

This year, organiser Montscho Masimba, said the first prize for both male and female will not be less than $600. There will be trophies, medals and gift items also available.

Masimba, speaking to Newsday yesterday, said the theme, “Cleansing the Mind”, is relevant today as citizens need to be able to think independently if they want to be successful.

“Cleansing the mind is important to stop established systems from manipulating one’s thinking. Your mind must be cleansed to give you freedom to grow, create and progress economically and otherwise,” he said.

Masimba thanked Home Centre in Sangre Grande for their continued support of the Freedom Run and urged more companies to come on board and be a part of community ventures. For more information on registration call 370-5326.

Relatives of the women, who only on Sunday came together to celebrate La Barrie’s son Johnathan’s nuptials were yesterday in tears too shocked to comprehend the fact they must now plan the sisters’ funerals.

La Barrie, 54, died at the scene of the accident while Daniel, 43, died minutes later while en route to hospital. Warded, both in serious condition, are police officers WPC Williams-Harden and Cpl Lloyd Brown.

According to a police report, at about 10.30 pm, La Barrie was driving her car along Antigua Road with Daniel as the front seat passenger. They had just left Sangre Grande after dropping off wares that were rented for the wedding on Sunday.

Both women were heading to their respective homes in La Horquetta.

Without warning, police reported, La Barrie lost control of the car which swerved onto the opposite lane and struck an oncoming Toyota Corolla car before ramming into a pick-up truck containing the two police officers. A report was made to police and ambulances were despatched to the scene.

La Barrie’s car was so badly mangled that firemen had to cut through the twisted metal to extricate the sisters. Weeping relatives told Newsday that the sisters were devout Jehovah’s Witness followers and attended service at the Kingdom Halls in Arima and La Horquetta.

“They touched a lot of lives and made many friends in this life,” said a relative. “My aunt (Daniel) learned sign language and taught it to other members of the church. She also preached our religion to the deaf using her knowledge of sign language.

The family is rocked hard by this.

“There are others in our family who suffered heart attacks and other medical problems but are still here. We never expected these strong, vibrant women leave us and in such a manner.” Funeral arrangements are ongoing with relatives living overseas expected to return by the end of this week to attend the service.

I wish I had his luck, because the BIR sent me, since April 18, 2016, individual income tax audit reports for 2011 and 2012 showing refunds due to me for both years. But up to now (that is one year and three months later) not a word from the BIR.

Perhaps Wight may wish to share with me the strategy he used to get that level of efficiency which brought his 2016 refund cheque to him in less than one month.

HARRY PARTAP via email

Once an enemy is declared it is easy to define yourself the protector, the defender of the rights of the downtrodden, and even the moral and other types on all manner of issues that often you actually don’t have fully formed opinions. It is an old-fashioned and short-term leadership style, which one would have to admit can be quite effective in a brief and non-constructive kind of way.

Don’t jump to conclusions and assume that this missive is directed only at those in political leadership. The new head of the Inter-Religious Organisation declared war on the LGBTI community as her first rallying cry, demonstrating, frankly, that she is likely to be as divisive a leader as her predecessor whose vitriol during the child marriage debates seems to have fatally wounded an already unfit organisation.

Why define oneself by being in contention with another way of life? You may not agree with how others choose to live their lives, but to pick on others in order to promote your own choices as being better than others is not just judgmental nonsense but weak leadership.

Imagine a leader who, elevated to a position of influence, could promote an open discussion about discrimination in general. Imagine if the IRO could define itself differently by promoting dialogue between the religious groups represented in its membership.

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) led by Desmond Tutu and others played a significant role in promoting unification and mature political leadership at a critical time in the history of that country. The SACC is an interdenominational organisation operating in a multi-ethnic, multireligious context just as the IRO does here.

Furthermore, the difference between the South Africa context and Trinidad and Tobago was more than the breadth of the divide between the groups, or the depth of the poverty experienced by some. It was largely the wisdom and inclusivity of the leadership that took up the mantle.

So where do we stand on wise and inclusive leadership initiatives in this country? The quick-witted answer is of course: in desperate need of some! Part of the problem could be cultural. We are not a nation of conversationalists. Lots of talkers, particularly in senior positions: the labour movement, business sector, religious organisations, ethnic groups, community councils, political parties, everywhere. We have no shortage of opinionated articulate individuals ready and able to lead the pack. For that matter, there is no shortage either of followers eager to join the pack. What, however, is in short supply are leaders who listen, who contemplate deeply and who are able to take charge on behalf of everyone, in particular those most discriminated against and even those whose support they may find hard to win.

The Prime Minister has invited the Leader of the Opposition to have a talk about “selected matters of national interest.” A laudable initiative on the part of the incumbent and we would certainly welcome a break in the acrimony, but neither of these leaders has invested previously in a relationship that one would imagine could result in a constructive conversation.

A conversation, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is, “A talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged.” Yet both parties seem to have already set out the parameters of the talk in their public statements.

It is always difficult to rebuild bridges around issues that are politically fraught.

This was the position of attorneys representing Dumas when they appeared before High Court judge, Justice Robin Mohammed in the Port of Spain High Court yesterday.

Dumas’ attorney Elaine Greene, who held for Senior Counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, informed the judge they had written to the State last year seeking information on the status of commission members Dr James Armstrong and Romar Achat-Saney.

She said there was “no substantive response” but the issue of the interpretation of the Constitution as sought by Dumas was still to be determined.

“Whether these people are sitting, the issue as sought by the claimant still stands,” Greene said.

Attorney Carlene Seenath, who represents the Attorney General, said she had no official response from the PSC on the status of the commissioners.

Directions were given for the AG to file a response to Dumas’ lawsuit by October 12 and the matter has been adjourned to November 23.

Nominations for the two were approved by affirmative resolution of the House of Representatives on November 13, 2013, and the appointment by the President for a term of three years, took effect from November 19, 2013.

The appointments met with Dumas’ disapproval on the basis that they did not possess the requisite qualifications, and he asked the High Court to declare that the President has no power and or authority to nominate and or appoint, to the PSC, any person who is not qualified and experienced in the disciplines of law, sociology, management or finance.

Mohammed, in a ruling on a preliminary issue, initially held that the interpretation application filed by Dumas pursuant to Part 62.2 of the Civil Proceedings Rules (CPR) was not properly instituted.

Dumas appealed and the court held the procedure of filing the claim could be remedied under the CPR and held that Dumas’ concern was a legitimate query of the composition of the PSC.

The State appealed to the Privy Council, submitting that Dumas must have a legitimate interest in the composition of the PSC and could prove that he was directly affected by the President’s decision to appoint Armstrong and Achat-Saney.

In their ruling earlier this year, five Law Lords held the Court of Appeal – which comprised of Justices Peter Jamadar, Nolan Bereaux and Gregory Smith – were correct to rule that Dumas had an arguable case on a matter of public importance and was not a busybody acting for a collateral purpose.

In their ruling, the British Law Lords also held that the question raised by Dumas, who has asked for a legal interpretation of the Constitution was one for the court to decide and not the House of Representatives.

They also noted that the matter before them raised “an important question about the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear an application by a citizen for the Court to interpret a provision of the Constitution.”

Top seeded Lawrence defeated Shauna Valentine 7-5, 7-6, while second seeded Abraham was a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 winner over Cameron Wong in the other semifinal. The top two seeds in the boys Under-14 singles advanced in constrasting styles. Number one seed Kyle Kerry cruised into the final with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Luca Shamsi.

Ethan Wong, ranked second in the draw, was made to work for his victory.

Wong won the first set 6-4, before Charles Devaux won the second set 7-5.

In the Super Tiebreak, Wong prevailed 10-8. The tournament continues today from 9 am.

SELECTED RESULTS: SINGLES Boys Under-10 Semifinals James Hadden def Alexander Merry 4-2, 5-3 Kale Dalla Costa def Isaiah Boxill 5-4, 4-0

Boys Under-12 Semifinals Tyler Hart def Jamal Alexis 4-1, 5-3 Nicholas Ready def Thomas Chung 5-3, 4-0

DOUBLES Boys Under-12 Semifinals Sebastien Byng/Zachery Byng def Nicholas Ready/ Jamal Alexis 1-4, 5-4, 10-3 Tim Pasea/Beckham Sylvester def Tyler Hart/Lorcan Chan Pak 5-4, 5-4

Boys Senior Semifinals Aidan Carter/Nkrumah Patrick def Nathan Valdez/ Sanjeev Seenath 6-0, 6-0 Brandon Gregoire/Nabeel Mohammed def Keshan Moonasar/Samuel West 4-6, 7-6, 10-4

Girls Senior Semifinals Maria Honore/Chelsea Mukerji def Victoria Koylass/ Stephanie Sirju 6-4, 6-1 Kimberly Sabga/Yin Lee Assang def Aralia Blackman/ Sarika Seenath 6-1, 6-1

Moonilal was addressing a United National Congress Monday Night Forum at Bamboo Presbyterian Primary School. The investigation centres on allegations that the authorisation came from Maharaj but he has denied this and has called for a retraction and a copy of the report.

Moonilal said two officials linked to the probe are beneficiaries of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) units. He said HDC units are not meant for any person who already owns properties. “How come you give them access to HDC housing? Was that also part of an inducement?” Moonilal also accused Stuart Young, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, of going beyond his powers to recommend to the Public Service Transport Corporation (PTSC) to pay four contractors who, Moonilal alleged, had not tendered for their jobs.

In reply yesterday, Young, an attorney, told Newsday, “My legal advice, dated April 25 to the chairman of the PTSC is straightforward and self-explanatory.

Anyone reading the legal advice would appreciate the content of same and immediately discern that to suggest that there is anything untoward with the advice is misleading. I have nothing further to add.”

Youth education isn’t a sports competition. It’s, among other things, a system for promoting national cohesion, national inclusion, national confidence in children, the future of the nation. They all represent team TT .

Children’s success starts with parents and caregivers and, yes, national leaders who have positive future hopes for children and demonstration that attitude in words and deeds.

Confidence backed with support is the game breaker between successful children and unsuccessful.

Similarly, confidence backed with support is key in commercial enterprises.

Every year the media interview top exam-scoring SE A, CSE C and CAPE children. National leaders shower praise on a handful of those students. They never seek to interview middle performers or low performers or under-performers.

So the nation never hears about the challenges, fears, emotional turmoil of these, the majority of children.

That discrimination helps the education system to cover up its many flaws.

And so, nothing out of the ordinary is done to raise the quality of less desired schools. And nothing out of the ordinary is done to turn inhospitable schools into learning institutions exuding high education standards.

The low-standard, backward secondary schools of the 1980s and 1990s continue in their infamous fame in the 2010s. Billions of dollars in public expenditure have not upgraded the performance standards of those schools. Under-resourced primary schools of yesteryear still wrestle with not enough in 2017 and are dimly judged in spite of their obvious handicap.

B JOSEPH via email