Exam mix-up scandalous

The late delivery of the national tests for mathematics and Language Arts left standards one and three pupils frustrated at schools across the country yesterday, with Tobago pupils having to sit the exams again today.

Principals of schools in South Trinidad had to wait at the district education offices from as early as 5.30 am yesterday to collect the test papers. In Port-of-Spain, principals also received the papers late forcing them to start the exams after 9 am. The tests were to start at 8.30 am and end at 12.30 pm.

In Tobago, the standard one pupils only sat the Language Arts test because the schools did not receive any mathematics papers. They have to sit the math test this morning. While Tobago standard three pupils wrote the mathematics test, they will have to sit the Language Arts exam today because the papers were not available yesterday. Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Clyde Permell described the mix-up and late start to the tests as “scandalous” and said it compromised the validity of the exams which were set to measure the performances of the pupils at primary school level.

Permell said the Ministry of Education did not prepare properly for Tobago schools.

The ministry, in a release, said there was a “delay in the distribution of papers” in Port-of-Spain, and a “delivery problem” in Tobago. However, the ministry did not explain the reasons for the delays and non-delivery of the test papers. Sharon Balroop, the ministry’s communications officer, in a subsequent interview said the ministry did not know about the hiccup in the Victoria and St Patrick educational districts in South Trinidad. “As far as we know the papers were delivered on time,” said Balroop. Scores of principals arrived at the ministry’s Sutton Street, San Fernando office from 7 am to collect the papers.

But they too had to wait for them to be transported from the the ministry’s Alexandra Street, Port-of-Spain office. Newsday was told the papers were to be delivered to San Fernando at 5.30 am.

A principal said last year the papers were delivered the day before the exams were written.

“This year, we were informed to pick up the papers on the morning of the exams. We were told that the papers would have been there from 5.30 am,” said the principal. Already anxious about the tests, some pupils in San Fernando became ill after being told they would have a late start. The ministry’s delivery van arrived at about 7.45 am in San Fernando.

“All of us (principals) had to be pushing each other to try to get our exam papers because it was already so late. I know that some of them had far to go, some to Barrackpore and some as far as Cedros,” said one principal. The principal of a school in Fullerton Village, Cedros said the national exams began after 9.30 am. “The pupils of my school grew very impatient. The teachers there had to give them motivational speeches and send them outside to relax for a few minutes,” said the principal.

San Fernando Boys’ RC Primary School principal Michael Guerra said he was able to get back to the school on time because it is located on Harris Promenade, not far from Sutton Street. “There were no mishaps and the examinations went smoothly. We had 270 pupils altogether sitting the exams,” said Guerra.

In spite of the delays and initial anxiety, some pupils expressed confidence in their performance of the tests.

“The exam was very good. I took only 50 minutes to complete it. I am looking forward now to enjoy myself for the holidays,” said Antonio Beatrice, ten, a standard three pupil of San Fernando Boys’ RC.

Principal of St Gabriel’s Girls’ RC School Curly Golah said her pupils found the exams were satisfactory. “The composition was very tricky,” said Tyler Ribero, a standard three pupil.

The exam was described as easy by pupils of both standards in schools within the Port-of-Spain area.

Michaeline Brooks, a standard one pupil of St Rose’s Girls’ RC School said she was tested on addition, subtraction, multiplication and long division. In Language Arts she attempted questions on parts of speech. Students were given 75 minutes to complete each subject.