Petrina Francis, Education Reporter
Ruel Reid, president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association. - FILE
RUEL REID, president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), is urging the Government to introduce a School-Based Assessment (SBA) for students sitting the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).
According to Mr. Reid, a one-off examination at the end of grade six is pressuring for children and the introduction of a SBA would help to build their self-esteem and confidence.
"By setting an examination system that fails and frustrates our children, we from very early traumatise and turn them off from school," Mr. Reid said.
He noted that an assessment process exists at the secondary and tertiary levels, and it would only be fair to do the same at the primary level.
The GSAT replaced the Common Entrance Examinations in 1999, which for 58 years guided the placement of students in secondary schools.
CONTINUING CONTROVERSY
But nearly seven years since the introduction of the GSAT, there is continuing controversy and concern about the equity and adequacy of the examination.
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture is currently reviewing the examination.
Mr. Reid said his organisation would like to see the introduction of a SBA by the start of the 2007 academic year to coincide with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) new competency-based examination.
He is proposing that the class work that children do on a daily basis be a part of the assessment process and should cover 50 per cent of the children's final grades.
According to the JTA president, if children do not perform well in their examinations, but did well during the assessment process, they would still end up with reasonable grades.
