Arimathaea Apostolic Academy

The Minister of Education, The Honourable Gadsby Dolly, announced that only 37.06% of students scored above 50% in the SEA examinations this year. This translates to an average of 7000 students out of an average total of 19000 students. This is astonishing and frightening all at the same time. However, we need solutions and solutions requires a thorough understanding of why this collapse occurred and the systems which are required to repair this broken system in order to avoid Trinidad and Tobago suffering a full-blown education epidemic.

In this article we will discuss the date of the SEA examination which I believe was ONE of the biggest faux pas which contributed to the abysmal test scores.

In 2020, students wrote SEA on August 20th and in 2021, students wrote SEA on July 1st. This could not be avoided because of the ongoing pandemic. However, these late dates altered the entire transitioning system.

In 2019, then Education Minister, the Honourable Anthony Garcia, announced that the SEA exam was reverting to March instead of May - the students ultimately wrote exams on 4th April, 2019. This meant that Standard 4 pupils, would transition to standard five in Term 3 and thus, enjoy an almost full three terms of Standard 5. Additionally, it cannot be overstated that all students attended face to face classes one hundred percent of the time.

Enter 2022, where the last batch of Standard 5s would have written exams in July, meaning that the current standard 4s did not become standard 5s until these students had sit exams. The major problem would not becoming standard 5s until the current class writes, is that the students do not enjoy the expertise of the standard 5 specialist teacher.

So let us now consider the magnitude of what this class of 2022 truly faced. These students were in their second term of standard 3 when schools were closed in March of 2020. Thus, they were online students from that time until early February 2022. Compounded, these students did not become Standard 5s until after July 1st and lastly, after only two terms in Standard 5, these children were made to write the SEA exam on March 31st 2022.

Considering all of the bad habits developed after almost two years of online schooling, coupled with the fact that online schooling slows the process considerably of completing the syllabus in a timely manner, this early SEA date left no time for the process of learning to take effect.

While I understand that it was the intent of the ministry to bring the system back into balance, I fear that this was not the year to do so. The cart was without a doubt placed before the horse.

Firstly, the SEA date should not have been reverted to March, until face to face classes had been one hundred percent restored from the first term of the school year. Secondly, even to revert to a March date would have required the Ministry to think outside the box - like perhaps extending the third term to include the full month of July for standard 5s. This would have ensured that enough time was provided for the completion of the syllabus and effective learning to occur.

What should have been an ‘eased into’ process was handled quite ‘harshly’ and without foresight or understanding. Sadly, what many do not grasp is the deep trauma many students suffered as a result of this rushed process. A situation was forged where only the strong and the more privileged students survived. It was indeed the perfect storm for failure and yet still this is not the end of this tragic tale. Tomorrow we will take a look at the exam itself and the devastating decisions made, which resulted in the overwhelming under performance of our students.

If u know me personally you will know that I am 💯 about education.

When my first daughter was born she changed my whole perspective on education. It was a traumatic time for me lol. I had to balance expectation versus reality. I had such plans for her... To start our educational journey together from as early as 6 months 😂😂😂

My expectation involved a pliant, sponge-like being... Instead I got the most defiant, willful, didobedient little girl.

The complexities of what I encountered with this little girl would surely fill a book... Imagine simple daily tasks becoming seemingly insurmountable mountains to climb - like putting on her socks and shoes or getting her into her uniform. I use to have moments of total collapse lol... Bawling my eyes out in God's presence and feeling like a total failure...

But through this little girl God taught me restorative systems for education which I built into my Primary school... Chayah Life Academy and then Arimathaea Apostolic Academy.

Now she has reached this miletone and its overwhelming to me that on friday morning we will learn the results of her SEA exam...one door is about to close and another open and whatever the outcome I am deeply thankful for the lessons that this little girl taught me😘😘😘😘😘

Arimathaea Apostolic Academy and Juwbilee Heritage School officially closed its doors in July 2020 due to the covid pandemic 😭😭😭

However, in July 2022 we are launching our online 'summer' literacy camp; for children between the ages of 6 to 10 years old. 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Literacy is one of the foundational building blocks of a long and successful educational journey 💯💯💯💯

Space is limited, so whatsapp 7205696 for more information.

Ive been homeschooling my daughter since 2020🤗. When she entered std 1 in Sep 2021 after one term I realised that she was bored 😂 and advancing through the syllabus rapidly so in the second term I started her on std 2 work💯

Using my literacy system I focused on developing a strong foundation in the areas stated below👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

I had to slow significantly with her because my elder was writing SEA this year... But shes almost 75% through the std 2 curriculum and will be starting the std 3 curriculum in September..

Shes 7 years old... Let me help ur child advance too... Literacy is the 🗝

Whatsapp 7205696