Ex-principal, unveiling online tests, urges ‘11-Plus’ go on

Veteran educator Jeff Broomes is appealing to Government not to postpone this year’s Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE) because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Detailing a project which would allow 11-Plus students to take a series of six online Common Entrance mock tests, Broomes suggested the annual examination must go on this year because there is no system in place for an alternative method of assessment.

“If we were doing the continuous assessment in primary school up to a point and then the examination was a part of it, then we might have been able to cancel the exam and use those continuous assessments for the transfer process, but we have not been doing that and that is not available to us at this point.

“So, if we try to bypass the exam this year it would just be chaos. I think we should still prepare the children for the examination which cannot happen before the middle or the end of June,” Broomes said.

The six online tests are being sponsored by the Kiwanis North and Jemarlika Educational and will be offered every Friday during May. They were formulated by the former secondary school principal who said the initiative is to help students prepare for the BSSEE. He said all tests will remain online from the date of posting until the date of the examination.

In a Government Information Service (GIS) release on March 26, the Ministry of Education announced a number of changes to examinations scheduled for this year.

The ministry said due to the restrictions imposed by Government to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus steps have been taken to safeguard the health and well-being of stakeholders in education.

The date for the BSSEE was initially changed to Tuesday, June 2, 2020 contingent on the Trinity Term initially scheduled to commence on April 14, 2020. The Term has now been further delayed due to the curfew being extended.

About the 11-Plus project, Broomes said “This initiative is intended primarily to give students experience in the structure and content of the examination. Additionally, it is offered as support for those many children whose preparations were compromised as a result of the school closures occasioned by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Broomes said.

The weekly tests can be accessed at www.weexcel.app.  Broomes developed and provided all tests and answers and he said he will also provide opportunities for feedback and explanations via an active and progressive online chat after each test.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb