Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
Students of Jessie Ripoll Primary School in Kingston take notes in class yesterday as they get ready for GSAT examinations later this month. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WHILE SOME students are generally prepared for the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), scheduled for March 30 and 31, some educators are concerned that many students are experiencing weaknesses in some of the traditional areas.
Just over 52,000 students have registered to sit the GSAT, which replaced the Common Entrance Examinations in 1999. Performance in the test will determine the placement of students in secondary schools.
"They are well prepared. It's a lot of work, but a majority of them are getting in the 90s and in the high 80s," said Lorna Downie, grade six teacher at Jessie Ripoll Primary School in Kingston.
DIFFICULTY WITH THE SCIENCES
But Mrs. Downie said some of her students were experiencing difficulty in science. She explained that when the scores from the mock examinations were analysed, she found that there was a general weakness in the subject area. "So we are doing some exercises to work on that now," she said.
The grade six teacher told The Gleaner yesterday that she was confident that her students would perform well in the examinations because they had the right attitude and parental support.
"I will be ready for GSAT," said Safiya Miller, head girl at Jessie Ripoll.
Safiya, who wants to attend Immaculate Conception High School in September, said science posed serious challenges, but she was working hard to get a good score.
And her classmate, 12-year-old Davian Clarke, said he is "just about ready".
"I think I am going to do very well," a confident Davian said. "But I just need to work on my science."
CHALLENGES
Winsome Reid, grade six teacher at nearby Clan Carty Primary School, said some of her students were ready for the exams, but lamented that some pupils who are not fully prepared would have to wait until next year.
Mrs. Reid explained that some students were experiencing serious problems with language arts, while others were also grappling with problem solving in mathematics.
"I think I can make it because I am very good at language, social studies is a breeze for me and I am still working on my maths," said 11-year-old Shammoy Brown, a student at Clan Carty Primary School.
And Renea Blake, deputy head girl, said she was equally ready, but would be working on some of her weaknesses.
