For the “Experts” on GSAT Exam Pressure

[Historian]

I read with some interest the several derisive comments yesterday on the matter of pressure on the students preparing for the GSAT exams. I’m referring here specifically to the three or four posters who were implying that talk of “pressure” is an exaggeration. I thought of responding but decided to leave things alone.

Maybe this Jamaica Observer editorial, which includes a summary of a letter written by an obviously smart GSAT student, will convince you esteemed gentlemen that the immense pressures are real.

Abolishing GSAT makes sense

Friday, June 22, 2012

THE declaration by Education Minister Rev Ronald Thwaites that the much berated Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) is to be abolished is, we are sure, music to the ears of many parents.

Minister Thwaites, in his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate this week, expressed exasperation at the fact that for 14 years the GSAT exam has been stirring fear and trauma in parents and children alike. He said the exam robs children of much extracurricular life and cram their head with excess material they will never use.

As Minister Thwaites spoke, we remembered the painful letter to the editor of the Observer from 11-year-old grade six student Roshaun Robinson, published in March this year.

Roshaun, who loves to read, told us that she was exploring Charles Dickens and Jane Austen and had tuned in to the harsh realities of the enslavement of Africans in the Americas via the modern classic, Book of Negroes, written by Canadian Mr Lawrence Hill.

However, she said that since September last year she was not able to indulge her love of reading because of the pressure of preparing for the GSAT.

She is a prize-winning essay writer but was unable to fully indulge what should surely be a highly recommended pastime because of the intense GSAT preparations.

According to Roshaun, in preparation for the exam, her school week was extended from five days to six, and on Sundays she went to church and did additional homework and study.

“Some of my schoolmates have it even harder because after leaving extra lessons at school, their parents take them to other teachers for extra, extra lessons. So some children get home only at night and then they have to do homework for classes the next day. Is there something wrong with a system like this? I think so,” she wrote.

That, we insist, is unreasonable pressure on a child. Therefore, we are heartened by Minister Thwaites' acknowledgement that he and his team at the education ministry have listened to the concerns of parents and the wider public and have taken steps to address them.

The ministry, he said, will, in due course, announce a new examination which emphasises aptitude and skills with appropriate age-related content.

That, we believe, makes eminent sense and gives weight to our position that the country need not have engaged consultants to analyse the curriculum and method of testing for the GSAT.

We have long held that high school placements should be determined by continuous assessment rather than the student's ability to recall information in one exam.

For there are many students who do well throughout their years in primary and prep schools, but freeze on sitting the GSAT as the enormous pressure on them to perform scares the daylights out of them.

We acknowledge that part of the reason for the pressure on students is what we call the big school mentality, which sees parents and teachers pushing for the 90-plus per cent marks that will get their charges into the most respected traditional high schools.

It will take a while to change this mindset. But that change will not come unless there is a serious effort to improve the standard of the schools that parents regard as less than desirable for their children. That is where the real solution lies.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1yWWgEYxL

[Rudi]

Good post Historian. I happen to know this brilliant young girl personally. Her GSAT scores were 98%. The only subjects she didn't get 100 in was science and maths where she got 92 and 99 repectively. She also won the essay competition put on by the British High Commission re the Olympics. Please don't tell Muadib but she's going to Campion. KC is still a boys school. LOL.
Well Campion will have to do I guess.

[Karl]

...I think 2 factors (on the many factors) driving this immense pressure on the students and their parents are:
1. (Perception of/real difference in) - Quality of education in the high schools;

2. Lack of adequate space to absorb all deserving student.

Was there once in the past talk of 'failures' being anyone scoring below 85%? Anyway know it was high %age average score.

[Historian]

Thanks, Boss

Thanks, Rudi. And I am very happy for this obviously brilliant young girl!

In some cases, strongly held personal opinions would change in significant ways if one knows the details and inner truths of a situation. In the case of the primary school national exams, the fact is that both parents and students are faced with enormous pressures, especially when they consider the several disparities that exist between the traditional high schools and, to use an old term, the “new secondary schools.”

[Rudi]

I agree.

[Assasin]

Who is putting the pressure her? The school or the parents? How comes she is going to school on saturdays?

The additional pressure comes because she wants to do well. The fact that common entrance was pressure and they decide to go with this, now this is too much pressure and I bet the next thing they come up with is even more pressure. We need to do more research and change according more than start over again because we have some complains.

Ok if you look on the rest of the year after exam back to september. I can only hope the young person will take the time to read a lot of books and do whatever they want.

The fact is any student who wrote that letter to the editor shouldn't have much problem in English and other subjects relating to pass GSAT. Yes there is pressure and will always be some for kids who want to do well.

You have some kids and parents who want no pressure and do no school work, you have some who really don't think they have to strive to get A's and B's.

Some who have to work hard to get better grades but that will always be. There is always the teachers who don't care or the ones who think they have all A students that applies the pressure. Pressure is relative and a lot of us had it growing up.

The fact is like the Jamaica 50th song we are great at turning minor things into a crisis. we forget the oppurtunity part.

[Assasin]

Congrats to her but was the pressure to past or do the best she could?

Was the pressure from school, parents or all of the above.

I bet she is smiling now and saying it is worth it.