Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Anderson

The National Parent Teachers' Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) has welcomed Government's decision to conduct a technical review of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), with particular focus to be given to the marking scale for science and communication task.

"I think it is a good move and this is necessary to bring greater balance, so, if they can come up with another method, that is good," Sylvester Anderson, president of the NPTAJ, told The Gleaner yesterday.

There has been growing controversy over the GSAT. Several parents and teachers have been calling on the ministry to explain the method used to arrive at placement and top performers.

Currently, the science test has 60 questions with a value of one raw score on a scale of zero to 60, while communication task has a short-answer question and an extended writing question, with a subjective score on a scale of zero to 12.

Parents represented

Meanwhile, Anderson said his association would be a part of the review committee, which is to be established to deal with any GSAT queries parents may have.

Anderson said he was pleased with Government's decision to appoint the NPTAJ to the committee. This, he said, would give the association the opportunity to represent parents and assist them with their concerns.

Meanwhile, Earl Moore, president of Guardian Life, is among those who feel the examination should be revised.

Moore said he was happy with the move by Minister of Education Andrew Holness to review the examination next year and to clarify, soon, how the marking mechanism worked.

"I am speaking from the perspective of a parent who has been through this exam with my daughter and niece. I add to the voices of so many parents who find this exam is far too challenging for that age group," Moore said. "There must be other ways of assessing our children without this rigour which sets them on a robotic preparation path."

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com