SEA today

TODAY 19,883 students are due to write the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam at 547 centres. No doubt many of them would have awakened with butterflies in their stomachs and feelings of nervousness. The months of preparation will end today as the students write the four-hour exam. They will hope to gain places in the secondary school of their first choice, even though the Ministry of Education has promised places will be available for all as part of its policy of universal secondary education. An alliance has also been formed between Chiefeez Snacks and Chubby soft drinks, to provide each student writing the exam with the necessary pencil to write the exam.

By midday, the students’ anxiety will be over, as they rejoice at having done their best, until the first week in July draws closer, when the results are expected to be released. As a result of today’s exam, all other primary school students will get the day off. Last year, 20,912 students were registered with 20,814 actually writing the exam. An analysis of last year’s paper showed that 12 percent or 2,497 students attained full marks in Creative Writing, 112 or 0.5 percent scored between 96-100 marks in Language Arts and 1,456 or 7 percent scored between 96-100 marks in Mathematics. There were 21,995 available places. Eleven thousand, seven hundred and seven (11,707) students were placed in five- and seven-year schools, 7,966 were placed at three-year schools, 881 were placed in private secondary schools, 260 were placed at the Servol Life Centres and 46 at pre-vocational centres.