On Monday, May 4, 2009 students from all across the country of Belize went to sit the second half of the Primary School Examinations. The Primary School Examinations is the great test that teachers spend years preparing their students for. In most institutions, teachers follow their students as they are promoted to higher classes. This is done to establish a sense of continuation in the exam preparations. Some institutions even go as far as to limit the Standard Five and Six Curriculum to focus on the examination. This process is called teaching to the test and many influential individuals, including President Obama of the United States of America, have condemned it. However, the process has proven that it increases the test performance of many institutions all over the world.
According to the Examination Unit in the Ministry of Education, 6,856 students were registered to sit the Primary School Examinations this year. The exam is taken on two different days of the year. On Monday, the students sat the Mathematics and Social Studies exam. The Mathematics exam is divided into two parts. Part one is a multiple choice section consisting of fifty computation questions; while, part two is a problem solving section consisting of ten problem solving questions. The Social Studies exam consists solely of fifty multiple-choice questions. These questions test the student’s knowledge of historical and present social institutions.
The first half of the Primary School Examinations took place on Monday, March 30. On that day, the students sat the English and Science examinations. The English exam is divided into two parts. The first part consists of fifty multiple-choice questions which test the student’s knowledge of grammar and comprehension skills. Part two of the English exam is the writing section which tests the students composing ability by requesting them to write an essay and a letter. The Science exam is similar to the format of the Social Studies exam; it consists solely of fifty multiple-choice questions which test the student’s knowledge of General and Health Science.
This examination has been the subject of controversy in recent days. Many have requested that it be postponed because of the threat of Influenza A (H1N1) on the well being of the students. The Ministry of Health had postponed all mass gatherings but did not cancel the examinations because they said that an examination setting is a controlled environment. However, safety measures were in placed during the sitting of the exam. Teachers were on the alert to identify students that showed any signs of cough or cold. At St. Michael’s College, one student was removed from the exam room and allowed to sit the exam alone because she had a cold and flu like symptoms. Some institutions even went as far as to sanitize the desks before each part of the examination.
According to Yvonne Davis, Principal Education Officer of the Examination Unit, the results for the examination should be released by the first week of June. She also responded to a report in another newspaper about 32 students who were not allowed to sit the examinations because they appeared to have flu like symptoms and were taken away to health centers. She said that her words were misinterpreted and that the majority of the students were allowed to sit the exam, similar to the student at St. Michael’s College, in isolation. She said that in fact they were only about two students whose cases were so severe that they had to be taken to health centers. In regards to whether or not the children will be allowed to sit the examination at a later date, the present policy is that no student should be allowed to sit the examination after the date on which it is issued- not even with a medical excuse. However, the examination board will review the matter and make a decision on a later date. The result of the Primary School Examinations is an important factor in the application and enrollment process of some high schools in Belize, but it is not the only factor. Other important factors are Standard Four and Five report cards, teachers’ recommendations and personal interviews. Many institutions; example, St. John’s College, issue letters of acceptance before the Primary School Examinations results are even released.
