Petition prompts phased rollout of revised curriculum, assessment framework

Minister of Education Transformation Chad Blackman has postponed the use of continuous assessment for secondary school placement, after parents and other stakeholders raised concerns about the ministry’s planned rollout.

Students entering Class Three this school year will no longer be the first cohort to participate in the two-year pre-secondary course, initially announced earlier this year, as education authorities move to end placement through a high-stakes, one-shot assessment – the Common Entrance Exam.

Instead, the transition to the new placement model has been postponed. While continuous assessment will become part of primary school teaching and learning this academic year, it will not be used for secondary school placement, Blackman said in a ministerial statement on Friday.

More than 400 parents and guardians signed a petition, requesting that the revised curriculum and assessment framework begin with students entering Class One.

According to a letter from the group, the change “would allow for a phased implementation, providing sufficient time for teachers, education officers, schools and the ministry to prepare for the changes, refine implementation processes, provide training and support, and ensure that the necessary systems are operating effectively before the assessment becomes high stakes”.

The ministerial statement indicated that the ministry had listened to concerns raised by parents, teachers and other interested parties.

Blackman said: “The transition to the new placement model will be deliberate, carefully sequenced, and fully supported. It will begin within the 2026 academic year when continuous assessment becomes a normal part of teaching and learning for students at the primary level. 

“At this level, assessment will not be used for secondary school placement. Instead, it will help teachers monitor each child’s progress, identify learning needs early, provide timely support, and begin building an individual learning profile that follows the child throughout his or her educational journey.”

The minister is proposing that the first cohort to transition to secondary school under the new placement model will be students entering Class Two this September, provided the system is fully ready.

“We are proposing that, under the condition of full readiness, those students who are going into Class Two will become the first cohort to transition to secondary school under the new model in the 2029-2030 academic year after three full years of preparation.

“Students who are going into Class One will have four years of preparation; those going into Infants B will have five years, whilst our youngest learners who are going into Infants A will have six years before they reach that age. This is the pathway that we have chosen.”

Blackman also assured parents that no child would be moved into the new placement model without adequate preparation.

“No child will be asked to transition to the new placement model without adequate preparation. Every cohort will have the time required to learn under the new curriculum as it is introduced.”

He outlined several conditions that must be met before the new model is implemented, including teacher training, clear assessment standards, moderation systems, and reliable data and information systems.

“We’ll continue to ensure that our teachers receive the training and professional support that they need, assessment standards are clear, consistent, and understood across every school. Strong moderation processes are in place to ensure fairness and consistency. Our data and information systems are reliable and fit for purpose. Quality assurance mechanisms are fully operational.”

Blackman added: “Schools [will] have the capacity and resources to implement the new approach successfully. Parents, teachers, and stakeholders receive clear, timely, transparent information throughout the transition, and the ministry can demonstrate that the new model is fair, equitable, and does not disadvantage any child or any group of children. That is the commitment I make today to the people of Barbados.”

For students entering Class Four in September and due to sit the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination in May 2027, commonly known as Common Entrance or 11-Plus, the BSSEE will remain the basis for secondary school placement.

“For those students who are about to start Class Four in September, who will sit the examination in May 2027, the BSSEE, as we know, the Common Entrance, will remain the secondary school transition examination and the basis for secondary school placement.”

Blackman said the existing placement system would also be strengthened to make it fairer and more inclusive.

“We will continue strengthening the current placement system so that it is even fairer and more inclusive. Throughout this period of transition, secondary school places will continue to be allocated using the established criteria of academic performance, and where a child lives, providing certainty, consistency, and fairness for students and their families.”

He said the government would also continue working to ensure that all secondary schools provide high-quality education.

“We will also continue to work towards ensuring that every secondary school is a place of excellence where every child is challenged, supported, and inspired to reach his or her full potential.”

The minister said the phased introduction of the new placement model would allow teachers, schools and parents time to adjust before continuous assessment is eventually used as part of the secondary school transition process.“We are continuing our deliberate transition towards a more balanced approach to assessment and a modern system of secondary school placement.”

Blackman also revealed that the national standardised assessment “will gradually expand beyond English and Mathematics to include science and Social Studies and citizenship. This broader approach will better reflect the full range of knowledge, skills, and competencies that students are expected to develop throughout their primary education.”

The broader national assessment programme would continue to be developed, with continuous assessment providing information to help teachers and schools identify and respond to students’ needs before learning gaps widen, Blackman said.

11-plus placement delay: What to know

– Continuous assessment will still begin in primary schools from September but will not yet decide secondary school placement for Class Three pupils, as originally planned. 

– The delay followed a petition signed by more than 400 parents and guardians seeking a more phased rollout.

– Common Entrance remains the high-stakes, one-shot placement exam for pupils entering Class Four this September and those sitting the test in May 2027.

– Pupils entering Class Two this September will now be the first cohort under the new model, for secondary entry in 2029–30 if the system is ready.

– The ministry says implementation depends on teacher training, fair standards, moderation, reliable data systems and adequate school resources.

– National assessments will gradually expand beyond English and Mathematics to science, Social Studies and citizenship.

(LG)