Mock exam initiative seeks to level 11-Plus playing field

More than 100 primary school pupils in St Michael are being given a final boost ahead of the 11-Plus examination through a first-of-its-kind mock testing initiative designed to build confidence, identify weak areas and provide targeted support just weeks before the national assessment.

The two-day initiative, launched by the Trident Charity at the Elsierlie School, also saw 40 volunteers from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Give Back Programme participate.

Director of the Trident Charity, Quincy Jones, explained that the pilot project is focused on students from St Michael, in the hope that it would help boost the confidence of students who will sit their exams in a month.

Director of the Trident Charity, Quincy Jones. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)

He said: “This exercise is part of giving back to the community because we recognise that not all schools and parents have access to lessons and different resources. So by having this program, we are able to assist parents and help the students prepare for their exams with the 11 plus, to just give them a little ease, a little confidence, a little try to run on how things can go in the actual exam, which takes place in May.”

The initiative marks a slight shift from the charity’s usual 11-Plus kit distribution, he said.

“We decided as a group and as a board that we will not only just help them in the resources on the day, but we actually try to help them leading up to the day. So we will continue to give the 11+ kids, but we also have this mock exam as our inaugural project for the children in the primary school.”

The charity director explained that the project seeks to fill the gap caused by the lack of resources and access that some students face:

“Some teachers are right now on vacation, working very hard trying to get the children prepared, all the primary school teachers, so they get all the primary school teachers who are doing extremely well, but I think they need a little couple of breaks right now. This is where the project comes in at the end of the vacation, to see all the things that they were doing the vacation, preparing for the exam as a mock run.”

The project also includes a report on students’ performance to help identify weak areas and where additional support is needed.

“We’re not just running the mock exam, but we are providing a detailed report on how they can improve in what area they are weak in composition, English and Maths that parents and the school can try to work if there’s a last-minute change that you can help.”

He also outlined what will take place after parents receive the students’ results on Monday:

“Next week, Saturday, if parents choose to come to us to get that little assistance, we have UWI students who are willing to help, and that’s what we’re going to be doing in case of that one more day to help in terms of that area.”

Additionally, the charity will make interactive videos and games available to students to further support their preparation.

“I’m going to try to provide some interactive videos for our children that we’re going to pass on to the parents, and I think that by having the interactive videos can give them a last minute push, and there are some actually very good games, that they actually have to use in maths and the whole problem of problem solving and critical thinking.”

Jones suggested there is a disconnect between how children are assessed and what they are actually capable of, and he hopes the initiative will help address that gap:

“There’s some disconnect right there with reality versus, paper and I also think that we need to sometimes not only just test children in terms of paper. There are some children who are very good in speaking and there are some children that are very good in practical skills, so I think that if we are thinking of going forward or transforming the education system and doing pretesting or what we used to call the curriculum reference tests, we need to change how we assess students, not just in writing on the day.”

He added that he hopes to see a shift in assessment methods in the future:

“We need to get to the point that we assess students in different methods to bring out the real knowledge of children because we can’t just do paper and pen all the time, or paper and pencil in primary school, but we can try to do oral presentations. You’ll be amazed to see some children who can speak well and deliver the message in mathematics and English, but might not be able to write it. There’s some disconnect between the reality versus the paper and pen.”

Jones also said there are plans to expand the programme islandwide next year: “Do it in zones and that we be trying to try to take charge of this entire mock exam as something bigger next year and we hope that it reaches all the schools in Barbados.”

The five-year-old Trident Charity raises funds through various activities, including garden parties. This year, it will run the Zenobia Crop Over band, with proceeds supporting educational initiatives such as this one.

(LG)