Principals outraged over Primary V rules change 1 day before exam!
The circular from the Ag. Chief Education Officer Mrs Jillian Douglas-Phillip set out the guidelines as to rules, some new in regards to the Primary Five Examinations marking system.
For example, it’s now documented, according to one of the Principals, that the Primary Schools Valedictorian and Salutatorian will be chosen by the Department of Education for each respective school, based on each student’s examination score. One Primary School Head Teacher admitted “this is not new, however, it was only loosely enforced,” the teacher asserted.
Two school principals told this news site that what is now new in the circular, some received on the start of the Primary Five Exams which were held for two days; May 2, 3, 2013, is that “each student must meet the minimum requirement of attending his/her school for two (2) or more years in order to be considered for the Valedictorian and Salutatorian titles.
It is unclear if this is to correct an alleged situation that was reported by this news site last year where one student only did one year at a school in class five and was awarded the title of Salutatorian.
Primary Schools in the Virgin Islands will now have to satisfy the Department of Education, via records that before a student can become Valedictorian and Salutatorian for each respective school they must have completed both classes four (4) and five (5) at that school.
One parent told this news site on this rule, “this is ridiculous, if the same Education Minister is claiming that he has standardised the primary schools system, so why would this be an issue?”
Another new rule a day before Primary V Exam
Another issue that the three Primary School Principals spoke on is the new rule they said will be unfair to students this school term where the Primary Five Examinations will account for 70 % of marks, up from 60% and 30% assessment, down from 40%.
The principals all agreed that this was unfair to impose this rule for this school team on the students on “almost the day of the exam...we are not saying this is a bad thing but things must be done properly and transparently, so all, both students and parents will be aware of the rules.”
Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron Walwyn, and Ag. Chief Education Officer Jillian Douglas Phillip could not be reached for comment but according to Director of Communications Arliene T. Penn, the Acting Chief Education Officer, at a regular end of term Principals' Conference held in July, 2012, informed Primary Principals of the change in the allocation of percentage for the Primary Five Continuous Assessment and the Primary Five Examination from 40 percent / 60 percent to 30 percent / 70 percent, respectively.
"In addition, principals were informed about the new criterion which is to be implemented in 2013 for the selection of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian, at another meeting during this school year," Ms Penn stated.
The circular, dated April 30, 2013, was to only serve as a reminder, Ms Penn said.
Ag. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Dr Marcia Potter said she recently returned to duties but noted she was aware there were meetings held to discuss such issues but could not comment further.
However, the former Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Andrew A. Fahie, when contacted, told this news site, “first I must say change is good, but it must be well thought out, change taking in account the views of all stakeholders. It must also be planned change”.
The three-term First District representative, now into his fourth conservative term as a legislator, also said, “If the change is done in the manner that is being reported and with the noticed given to the schools just this week during Primary V exams then this course of action leaves a lot to be desired. The only losers will be our children. You cannot change the rules in midstream and expect good outcomes”.
Hon. Fahie called on those in authority to revisit the decision.
Download the letter from CEO here.
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92 Responses to “Principals outraged over Primary V rules change 1 day before exam!”
After the elections they were gone.....history does repeat itself boss
The principals /teahers are biased and choose their friends, especially at aAlthea Scatliffe They are not fair. I knw that or a fact.
The Ministry/Department are management. Principals are simply supervisors, because the BVI has a centralized education system, the Ministry/Department has all authority. OK; so they said 70/30 would be implemented in 2014 and they changed it without informing anyone. They are the bosses, that's their prerogative.
You parents asked for it, and you got it. So suck it up! and hope for the best.
On another note, teachers need to be compensated at the proper salary grade for their qualifications upon achieving them. God don't like ugly.
Teachers need to be adequately compensated yes, but they need to be compensated according to their perfomance in the classroom. Are the majority of students passing or failing? Are parents adequately informed about their child's progress or lack of progress? Is there an increasing or decreasing number of students on the honour roll? Is there an increasing or decreasing drop out rate?
Is the learning environment sanitary and clean?
Many do not know what we teachers endure in grade six and this year has been d worst n know to get this. We the grade six teachers have meetings periodically and at one meeting we were told by Jillian that the 30/70 would be in effect next school year. Recently we have had another meeting....we were told that we would be the ones marking the test papers and she would see if she (Jillian) can get the primary school grade six students to stay home for at least the first three days of the week after exams so that the papers could be marked quickly and we would know who would be doing supplementary the week before it is too be administered and still no word. Many of us grade six teachers were looking forward to marking as we cannot see why we cannot mark the papers after all we taught majority of the content. So it seems as if we can't be trusted by our own or they at d department has something to hide. Since then we had another meeting two days before examinations to find out where we were being sent to invigilate...y do they harass other class teachers to invigilate when some class five teachers were not sent any where at all to invigilate? Then it seems as though Jillian knew she couldn't fulfill what she said so she allowed ms Susan P to head the meeting and lo and behold when asked the question of us marking mrs P was lostttttt!!!! So now we are left to assume that decisions are made by one personnnnn Jillian. So now we invigilate and we get a friendly maths paper one and two....well set...loaded to accommodate all learning types. Had lunch and then died. Shot in the heart by the science test with concepts that were not only covered in class five, but also not on the list of objectives for test on d website. Now I know that objectives r a guide but some were so far from topics...dietary fibre, skeletal system, clouds, fuels that give off substances and what fuels power station, like really science examiner.....most of us don't do health in class five is like these people does smoke. They tell you one thing n they do a next. We were given a science syllabus to cover concepts like minerals soil water cycle lab to name a few well I guess in their place we got some health topics. We don't do vertebrates in class five either. If u know u wanted to go back all the way to class three then u could've said. Who are u three guys out to spite. Then the science test format was terrible. It's like they wanted to squeeze in every possible topic they could arrive up. And what's up with filtration showing up more than once. That is high school topic, and instruments like sieve. The kids know funnel, beaker and u know what else they r in the syllabus that u sent. R we on two different page here? Did we miss something....did we not get the memo. Then it was 121.5 pts . What exactly were you trying to prove. But I'm not only here to bring out the bad points but also the good ones. The social studies paper was beautiful as well. Formatted nicely and friendly. The English wasn't too bad but I personally did not like the poem. There were also too many questions in that section when the examiner is fully aware that kids don't like poem and poetry can b interpreted many ways. Not enough questions r placed in the grammar either and we spend lots of time coaching that area. We now know where that examiner heart is...poetry...and not because u like it mean u r going to kill the kids there. Much much more can b said and I would only hope they r reading this and d other comments.
If you think the Primary V Examinations idiotic decisions were bad, just wait. The cohorts for the Bachelor's Programme could write a book each on our "experiences".
And nobody say anything about us being ungrateful - we were promised an egg. Not a golden egg but we didn't expect a rotten one either. And guess who some of the instructors were. Looks like Mrs. P drying government kitty for she on every paid committee and is EXTREMELY INEFFECTIVE! (And that is my nice teacher's way of putting out my opinion of her and her shameful efects on our education system.)
Do you realize the challenge these children are up againstin the work place right here in BVI. Shame on you..
Many people (unfortunately the CEO as well) feel that they are doing special needs student a favor by providing accommodations that are rightfully theirs. Now to make up, students that don't even need assistance gets it, while some who do, are still left out. A good idea horribly executed.
Accommodations should be given to those students diagnosed with a learning disability, including physical disabilities that affect learning. No child should get accommodations without a diagnosis, and the Government should have our students who need to be evaluated tested by the school system and not by the parents.
Accommodations for learning disabilities set special needs students on a level playing field for comparative assessments like the Primary V exams. It's only fair to give a child who has poor vision a pair of glasses, and provide hearing aids to a child who has limited hearing. Other disabilities like dyslexia, spina bifida, dyscalculia, ADHD and functional autism aren't as simple, but deserve, and demand the appropriate accommodations.
It seems like if you are 'dumb' (as the old people say), it is OK to get accommodations because it is deemed impossible to be a top student. But we have many top students (with diagnosed learning disabilities, and recommended testing accommodations) sitting the Primary V exams with ineffective accommodations or no accommodations at all because they are bright. Helping them as many call accommodations is not "CHEATING". Denying them their accommodations is not only "CHEATING" them but ILLEGAL!!!!!!!!
Then they move on to secondary school and the injustices continue. This education system needs to be tried and executed.
I say to the Minister and CEO, no one expects you to know everything and be able to do it all by yourself; that seems to be your choice though. You have exceptional educators in the system and you make them look bad because messes like these that you refuse to take the blame for are put on the teachers and principals. The ones who miraculously keep our schools afloat and educate students like those honor students at HLSCC you are so proudly bragging about now. They are products of the same principals and teachers everyone wants to crucify.
Principals, teachers, guidance officers and other school staff all need respect and courtesy as professionals and educators in our schools. They need to be heard and be allowed to work together to improve the system. You may be the drivers, but principals, teachers and others are the mechanics. If they don't service this engine well, what will you drive Hon. Minister and respected CEO?
What will our future be! One big broken down mess!! And it will cost this country Billions for a new engine.
need to be more discreet and tactful in their roles as "PRINCIPALS". Whatever their motives are, at the end of the day they need to be truthful and stop from placing blame on the Minister and the CEO. If they were asleep at the last Principal's meeting on 28th March, 2013 when this information was given; then they had a right to remain silent and stop creating confusion in the place. May God forgive them!
its clear that Myron has lost his way big time and would do and say anything to hold on to power. I pity him now to see what my former work mate at the DPP has been reduced to. I'm ashamed of you Mr. Walwyn