Students heading to their assigned classrooms at the Christ Church Foundation School to sit this year’s Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination. (C.Pitt/BGIS)
The 2020 Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination, also known as the Common Entrance Exam, came off today without a hitch.
After months of anticipation, 3,544 students – 1,740 males and 1,804 females – sat the exam at 21 centres across the island.
Acting Chief Education Officer, Joy Adamson, visited a number of the centres to make sure all went as planned and gave them a passing grade.
She said health protocols were in place at the exam centres and these were adhered to by students and parents.
At some schools, prefects lent assistance by escorting Class Four pupils to their assigned classrooms and to the bathrooms when the need arose to ensure all social distancing protocols were followed.
Mrs. Adamson said the majority of secondary school teachers were on hand to supervise the students, as well as invigilators from the Caribbean Examinations Council, who helped out where necessary.
She said that except for a few students falling ill during the exam, there was nothing out of the ordinary on the day.
“Those students who became ill were given extra time to complete the exam. If they couldn’t finish, then they will be given an alternative date to complete the exam. We had no reports of any significant events happening at schools. From the Ministry’s point of view, everything went okay,” she said.
The Acting Chief said she was pleased today with the behaviour of parents, who respected the protocols put in place when dropping off their children.
She added that those who stayed kept their distance and waited patiently away from the schools’ compounds until the exam was over.
melissa.rollock@barbados.gov.bb
