Parents calm, confident as students sit exam

The atmosphere ahead of this year’s Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination (BSSEE) was one of calm and quiet confidence at some exam centres as hundreds of Class Four students turned up on Tuesday morning to face what many described as the biggest challenge of their primary school journey.

Barbados TODAY spoke with a number of parents who were on site before the exams, and many reported that their children were composed and well-prepared.

Lisann Austin said her daughter had approached her studies independently and was ready for the day.

“She did a lot of the past papers, lessons, and she did most of the work by herself on her own. She loves reading. She’s confident,” she said.

Corey Chadderton, whose daughter attends the Bridgetown Seventh-day Adventist School, likened the day to any other. While he admitted that his daughter can be emotional at times, he said she was well-prepared and focused.

He said in the lead-up to the exam, there was “lots and lots of practice”. “She’s not the strongest at Maths, right, so we spent some time there over and over. We’ve done lots of repetition and she’ll be ready,” he said. “She’s been practising all along. So today will just be another day, a normal day. She’ll go, she’ll give her best. That’s what we’ve always encouraged her to do.”

Chadderton added that beyond academics, the preparation also included her outlook: “We work on attitude, we work on effort, and we trust that the score will take care of itself.”

The mother of a St Paul’s Primary student admitted that she was more nervous than her son. Still, she believed they had done all they could to prepare.

“He did lessons as part of his preparation and my son is a diligent child and he’s good at what he does so I’m not worried, to be honest,” she said.

For Natasha Francois, mother of autistic twin boys sitting the exam at The St Michael School, the journey was one of sacrifice and community effort. Her sons, who attend Erdiston Special Needs School and are mid-spectrum, had practised extensively and only required a few accommodations to sit the exam.

“I promised the boys that I will give them something after the exam because they had [given up] their Easter vacation to get prepared for this, to spend long hours and nights sacrificing games and all of that. I know that is a big deal for them,” she said.

Francois said her church group and school community had offered tremendous support. “I and the principal agreed that they needed both extra time and the big print because they… wear glasses,” she pointed out.

She noted that her sons felt good and were calm ahead of the exam.

Also present at Graydon Sealy Secondary was Jillian Tull, whose son was all smiles as he entered the exam centre. Tull said she wasn’t anxious—just grateful.

“I’m not really worried about the exam, because I know God is going with him, not only with him but the other children.” She praised divine strength for helping her son get this far.

“I reminded him that God is going to be next to him, reminding him of the things that he’s learnt and the things that he didn’t even remember, God is going to remind him. I am confident that my son is going to do well,” Tull said, adding that prayer had played a major role in their preparation. “I think more prayer than actual school work. We did lessons. We did some learning-to-understand questions, we did all that, but he can only do what he can do, and at this point, I am satisfied with the amount that he knows.”

Following the examination in the afternoon, Barbados TODAY spoke with twins from St Paul’s Primary, who both expressed confidence in their performance. The girls, who hope to attend Harrison College, were visibly relieved.

“Finally, it’s over,” said Shamiya.

“I am really relieved and happy,” added her sister, Aniya.

Their mother, Sadie, was overjoyed to have reached this milestone.

“I feel wonderful and glad. I know they put in the work, they did their best, and I’m very happy with whatever result they get,” she said.

One student said she felt more confident in the Composition section than in the Mathematics paper. Her mother shared that she was simply happy life could return to normal after months of intense preparation.

Another parent, Kennetta Reid, echoed similar sentiments. She described the moment as one of joy and closure: “We have been working at this for a while. I am happy that she has gotten to this stage and she is feeling confident about it and she is feeling comfortable and I am comfortable too. Whatever she has done, I will accept. Once she has given her best, I will take that.”

Her daughter, Kylie, who hopes to attend the Barbados Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School, also shared that she felt more at ease with the Composition paper. (LG)