Give 11-Plus a few more years, educator urges

A prominent critic of the Common Entrance Examination, more commonly referred to as the 11-Plus has nonetheless voice her opposition to its imminent abolition.

Sandie Field-Kellman, an early childhood education specialist, told Barbados TODAY that while she does not think the exam will serve Barbados’ needs in the future the decision to abolish the test was “a bit rushed”.

She said: “You need at least two years; by 2023 you can come with whatever other programme or test you want, so for me they should have it this year, next year and 2022, and by then you could have looked at implementing whatever new system you want to put into place.”

She said for the last 15 years she has argued that the exam does not give a fair assessment of the students’ capabilities, especially those who might have learning challenges, and she is in favour of continuous assessment from the time the child enters Infants A.

She said: “I don’t think all children are able to sit the exam if they have not been previously tested and evaluated in their younger years, from Infants A to Class 4.

“I don’t think the child should have to do an exam and endure mathematics, compositions and comprehension when they lack numeracy or literacy skills, so I think because of that we need to refocus and rethink this exam.

“I for one think a child should be assessed in their younger years continually, where teachers, parents, and clinical psychologists based on the situation of the child by nine or ten should be able to determine where this child should go and what they should do.

“You will have a situation down the road where children with issues and challenges will fall through the cracks, and by the ages of 15 and 16 they may fall into deviant behaviour if they are not taken into hand to help with their situation.

“So it is not fair when you have on one side of the spectrum children falling through the cracks and high fliers on the other.”

Field-Kellman said the elitist stigma attached to certain schools had to go for any new system to work. She also advocated mixability, where children with different levels of academic ability based on test scores and from different backgrounds could share the same classroom space and learn from each other.

The long-time educator said: “We have to get rid of the idea of ‘top schools’; mind you, I share the idea of schools of excellence, with variations like the performing arts, agriculture and so on.

“You will always have the high fliers and academics, but there should be equality across the board where the schools are concerned, and I am a strong believer in mixability, but there are lots of parents out there who say they don’t want their children in class with others who might not have done well or who live in particular areas, but we need to get rid of that elitist bureaucracy.”

Field-Kellman has organised a panel discussion entitled The Road to the Future on March 23 at the Black Rock Cultural Centre.

In explaining the rationale behind the event, she stated: “I have spoken to young people in school, children who have left school, those who are studying, those who are not studying, and some who possibly want to become entrepreneurs, all people under the age of 25, and they came up with the name, The Road to the Future.

“In 20, 30 or 40 years, if some of us are still here, the education arena belongs to the young people who one day will possibly lead this country, so the panellists reflect that.”

The panellists include Field-Kellman herself, secondary school teacher Leslie Lett, primary school teachers David Griffith and Miranda Fergus, and Khalil Kothdiwala, a student at Queen’s College and a member of the Youth Parliament.

The moderator will be Monsignor Vincent Blackett, the priest in charge of the Our Lady Queen of the Universe Catholic Church where the centre is located.