I am so sick of GSAT
published: Thursday | November 20, 2003

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I HAVE just read your article on the front page of the November 18, 2003 edition of The Gleaner entitled 'Now We Can Read'. While I am so glad for the children who have been helped with this programme, (one cannot help but see the joy and confidence in their beautiful faces) as the mother of a child preparing for the GSAT exams in 2004, I am shocked and appalled to think how these children are coping with all that the two-day exam entails.

Reading is such a fundamental part of ALL the topics covered in the curriculum that I wonder how they are managing the Social Studies and Science reading material. Why is the Ministry of Education subjecting our children to high school level work at the tender ages of ten and eleven years old? Are we really preparing them any better than we were when I took the Common Entrance Exam nearly 30 years ago?

The teachers tell us not to stress the children, yet everyday homework comes home to the tune of 80-100 Math sums, 50-80 Language questions, questions to be answered on the eye or light for Science, square tables to study and Social Studies to do. I am so SICK of GSAT, it is taking that youthful glow out of the eyes of my child and that makes me SAD and MAD at the same time. My prayer everynight is not just for my child but for the all the parents and children going through this INSANITY. Can anyone stop the madness?

I am etc,

DEBI K

debik5@hotmail.com

Kingston

Via Go-Jamaica