Find GSAT Replacement

-
 In recent times the call for the abolition of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) has gotten louder. From the halls of academia to the verandas of the average Jamaican there has been and continue to be a growing body of public opinion calling for the Ministry of Education to find a replacement measuring tool to place our primary school students into high schools. The Grade Six Achievement Test is a placement examination, that is, regardless of the score of the candidate that individual will be placed at a high school. The areas of concern I have regarding the GSAT examination are twofold. Firstly, the GSAT examination is elist at best and secondly, the exam is not a true reflection of the candidate’s scholastic ability. The elitist nature of the GSAT exam is reinforced by the Ministry of Education in two ways. The top performers of the exams are sent to a limited number of high schools and candidates with the lowest scores are also sent to limited number low performing high schools. Therefore from day one the selection process is flawed and plays into the socio-economic divide that is so evident and pervasive throughout the society. By following such a policy we have schools in where the same kinds of students are the majority, this can be good, however, most times it is bad. To locate the negative results of this policy one only has to look at the 'struggling' schools as highlighted by the recent report of the Inspectorate Unit of the Ministry of Education. Most of those students at those schools share a dysfunctional, disruptive, maladaptive code of behaviour, not to mention many have learning challenges. Education should at best be that catalyst to bridge a society not serve to widen the gap between the 'haves' and 'have- nots; . With regards to the GSAT not being a true measurement of a students, ability, I use the example of one subject or component of the exam, that of Communication Task. This exam is divided into two parts, one is the essay section marked out of 6, and the other is a short answer section which requires students to fill out information using a given prompt, this component is also marked out of 6. In quite a number of instances a student who scores six marks out of twelve in Communication Task could be seen as being an average student by virtue of scoring fifty (50%) percent. However, that same candidate can omit to do the essay section or may have scored zero in that section. This scenario happens too often than not and can be interpreted by a given school that the student entering their institution is an average student in that subject. Of course this would be far from the truth as many of those 'average' students could be and should be classified as functional illiterates. How did these students reach to the GSAT level? Did these students sit the Grade Four Literacy Test? Or is it a situation where too many cracks are in the education system and not enough checks and balances? Maybe we should look at zoning our schools and placing students at a school within their zone?  What is clear is that we need to revisit the issue of our GSAT examination with a clear mandate at arriving at a better and more equitable way of placing our students in high schools?

waykam@yahoo.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Insecticides, Air Travel And Safety

-
Image
We are not insects, we are human beings. To travel by air is a privilege. Air travel is a costly adventure as well.   Those of us who have been fortunate to travel oftentimes experience some amount of excitement leading up to that moment. This heightened sense of emotion happens to almost all of us irrespective of whether we are a frequent flyer or a first timer. This buzz never goes away regardless of whether you travel economy or first class. However, for some folks there is a sense of nervousness during travel. There are numerous lessons we can learn whenever we travel. For example, our outlook on life is often altered due to the interaction with other peoples and cultures. Once the airplane takes off and you begin to ascend into the clouds, sometimes of altitude unbelievable to those without this experience, one can feel like someone who is imprisoned until your flight lands and you disembark. It is usually at those altitudes that the airline crew informs you that they are goin...
Read more

Vessels of Honour: Celestial Treasures

-
Image
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”- Psalm 51:10. Many of us have a skewed understanding of God our creator. In many instances we believe or are led to believe that in order to be used by God we must be pure and sinless. This tainted view undoubtedly also impacts our relationships we have with God. Having such a distorted view of God and what God demands from us oftentimes lead us into disobedience. The same is true concerning the weight of condemnation. It is for this reason why it is critical for us to spend time in the Word of God which is the Bible. We all need to know God for ourselves. We often make excuses to study the Bible, yet, we will spend hours on social media or hours gossiping people’s business. Nowhere is gossiping more pronounced than in the church. The church as we know it is not a place of honesty. Why do I say this? Oftentimes we turn to the church in our moments of weakness and vulnerability yet, the solace and compassion that ...
Read more

Interrogating Black Fatherhood

-
Image
“What I've realized is that life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children all of our children a better world. Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.”- Barack Obama. Fatherhood, especially black fatherhood oftentimes is not as celebrated as it should. As a result we continue to hear of the arguments surrounding my mother who fathered me. There are specific roles concerning the sexes and frankly speaking mothers cannot father children, likewise fathers cannot mother children. Indeed as a society we need to move the discussion away from these examples of oxymoron. This flawed premise has been around so long and unfortunately has become normalized in many societies. However, the time has come for us to have a serious and honest discussion as this argument must be interrogated and replaced with a sense of responsibility. In fact, there is one m...
Read more