Education expert slams ‘archaic’ 11-plus English exam

A university expert on educational testing has condemned the current method of assessing students in the Common Entrance Examination, branding it archaic.

Dr Grace-Anne Jackman, lecturer in testing and measurement at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill, on Wednesday voiced “deep frustration and concern” with the format of the English paper for this year’s Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE).

“This critical examination, designed to assess the literacy and comprehension skills of 11-year-old students, spanned 25 pages and consisted solely of written texts and questions, devoid of any visual aids such as pictures, charts, graphs, or graphics,” Dr Jackman lamented.

“In the 21st century,” she contended, “where the integration of technology and multimedia in education is paramount, it is disheartening to see that our assessment methods remain archaic. Literacy today encompasses far more than the ability to read and write traditional text.”

The Faculty of Humanities and Education academic advised that true literacy involves the ability to interpret and analyse diverse forms of information, including visual and digital content.

“By limiting our exams to solely written formats, we are failing to address the comprehensive literacy needs of our students. The current exam format does not reflect the real-world skills that students require,” she contended.

“In their daily lives, children interact with a variety of media and are often required to synthesise information from multiple sources, including images, videos, infographics, and interactive digital content.”

Dr Jackman insisted that an assessment which excludes these elements does not provide a complete picture of a student’s capabilities and readiness for the challenges of secondary education and beyond.

“Moreover, the lack of visual elements in the exam can be particularly disadvantageous to students who are visual learners or those who benefit from multi-sensory learning approaches.”

She warned that by not catering to diverse learning styles, the exam inadvertently favoured a narrow subset of students, thus undermining the principles of inclusivity and equal opportunity.

“To promote true 21st-century learners, it is imperative that our assessment methods evolve. Incorporating a variety of media in exam questions can provide a more holistic assessment of a student’s literacy and comprehension skills,” Dr Jackman declared.

“For instance,” she said, “including charts or graphs in comprehension sections can test students’ abilities to interpret data and draw conclusions, while images related to texts can enhance critical thinking and contextual understanding.”

The UWI researcher declared it’s high time that educational assessments are aligned with the demands and realities of the modern world.

Dr Jackman noted that the government has signalled that as part of its educational reform, it will abolish the BSSEE.

“However, until such time, I urge the Ministry of Education and the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to reconsider and update the format of these high-stakes exams. By doing so, we can ensure that we are fostering well-rounded, literate individuals who are truly prepared for the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century.”

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb