The
origin and evolution of the Common Entrance Examination in Barbados and its effectiveness
in achieving quality education 1959-1982
The
Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination, commonly called the Common
Entrance Examination, was implemented in 1959 as a method for transferring
students from primary to secondary school. It emerged from a recommendation by
G.S.V. Petter (1956). After
conducting a survey in both grammar and modern secondary schools, Petter
realized that something had to be done about the way in which students went on
to secondary schools. He concluded that children were being examined too early
in their lives (some as early as 9 years old). During this time period, because
of a high demand for secondary education children would write several
examinations by different secondary schools with hopes of gaining entry to at
least one grammar school. Petter (1956) noted that this led to evident fatigue
and lack of enthusiasm amongst students by the time they got to secondary
school. Out of all of his recommendations one that was taken into the
consideration was the request for the government to set one entrance exam based
on attainment, which would not overexert students.
In
1959, this recommendation was brought to fruition by way of a Screening Test
administered by the Ministry of Education for all students between the ages of
10-12. Prior to 1959 in addition to the entrance examination by individual
schools, students had to complete an interview in order to get in. This
interview segment could be highly discriminatory and place persons from a lower
socio-economic background at a disadvantage. Carter (2017) noted that questions
could include if a child had running water in their home, where their toilet
was located – whether it was inside or outside, how far from the house one’s
toilet was located and even what they had for breakfast on the day of the
interview. These questions were geared towards identifying which socio-economic
background a student belonged to and a child’s response could determine whether
or not they were granted a place into the school. At the end of the day the
choice was left up to the headmaster to decide who would be accepted or not,
which was very subjective and discretionary.
The
Screening Test in 1959 came as an opportunity for all, irrespective of one’s
socio-economic background. A student’s academic ability on examination became
the primary determinant for their admission to secondary school. But there was
still room left for subjectivity because once a child made the cut off point
they would be able to attempt the entrance exam at the school of their choice
where the final decision was still left up to the headmaster. In 1962
subjectivity was completely removed and the Screening Exam (Part I) and the
actual entrance exam (Part II) were both administered by the Ministry of
Education. This created equal opportunities for all the candidates to attend
secondary school. According to the
Ministry of Education Report 1976-1977, by 1977 entrance to secondary schools
were determined by a one-stage examination instead of the Part I and II system.
This relieved some stress children experienced.
The
Common Entrance Examination served as a vehicle for providing quality education
in Barbados. Despite the equal opportunity in sitting the
Common Entrance Examination, there were faults in the new system. There was
only one shot to succeed and it reinforced a system of segregation amongst
students and schools based on ability grouping which compromised the delivery
of quality education using the Common Entrance Examination in Barbados.
The Common Entrance was not fair to students because
it gave them one shot (although resisting was offered the following year) at
gaining entrance to the school of the student’s choice. Schooling before secondary school lasted for
approximately 6-7 years and a child’s transfer to secondary school depended on
one English and Arithmetic exam and a short composition. If a child scored 25% on the
Arithmetic component is did not necessarily mean that he or she was not at the
level of attainment required, it could simply mean they had a ‘bad day’. The exam did not assess student
learning/performance over a time span, nor did it assess a child’s consistency.
Continuous assessment is an important component of the delivery of quality
education that the Common Entrance did not possess. If a child failed that day for whatever reason they could be
labeled a ‘failure.’ Because of this ‘one shot’ feature the Common Entrance exam
failed to achieve quality education in Barbados.
The Common Entrance Examination reinforced a system
of segregation among the older and newer secondary schools and led to ability
grouping upon the results of the exam.
The older
secondary schools were perceived as prestigious based on past events
specifically the 1878 Education Act. And so when secondary modern schools were
implemented they had no other choice but to take the inferior position to
them. Grammar Schools offered
sixth form opportunities and persons attending them were the ones to take up
significant positions for the development of the island. They received the ‘crème
de le crème’ of performers and received more professional staff and lab
equipment. The newer secondary schools received students who were deemed to be
underachievers in the system. This led to a harsh system of ability streaming,
and because of the prestige attached to grammar schools every child aimed
towards attending one. If they were not successful, they were perceived as underachievers
within Barbadian society. A writer
to the Advocate Newspaper, Bertram
Niles, showed his concern because this appeared to be harmful on the academic
development and the socio-emotional stance low performers. The children who
were placed at the newer schools lost enthusiasm. Another writer to the Advocate newspaper, Jean Springer, suggested that ability grouping did have benefits, since
students with the same ability can work at their own pace, but given the
interschool ability grouping that the Common Entrance Examination emphasized,
it placed students across the system at a disadvantage, and especially those in
modern secondary schools.
The
Common Entrance Examination engaged all pupils aged between the ages of 10 and 12. In 1959 it was merely a Screening Test
that evolved into both a screening test and entrance examination administered
by the Ministry of Education in Barbados. It served as a vehicle for achieving
quality education to all persons and making the transfer from primary to
secondary an easier one by creating equal access for students making the
transition; it terminated the uncoordinated method to get into secondary schools.
Nonetheless in some instances it failed as an appropriate strategy to provide
quality education because it only offered one single shot and it reinforced
segregation among the masses between 1959-1982 which both had severe
consequences on the students involved.
References:
Barbados, Ministry
of Education. Report of the Department of Education . Bridgetown :
Government Printing Office, 1958-1959.
—. Report of the Ministry of Education Barbados
1976-1977. Bridgetown: Government Printing Office , 1976-1977.
Carter, Dan Clifford. The Origin and Effectiveness of
the Common Entrance Exam in Barbados Levisha Josiah. 14 October 2017.
Niles, Betram. Ministry must act fast to abolish exam.
Bridgetown: The Advocate, 17 May 1979. Newspaper.
Petter, G.S.V. Report of a survey of secondary education
in Barbados . Bridgetown , 1956.
Shorey, Leonard and Gerald St. Rose . "Education and
Development ." Barbados Thirty Years of Independence. Ed. Trevor
Carmichael. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers, 1996. 118-150.
Springer, Jean. Grouping Children According to Ability .
Bridgetown: The Advocate Newspaper , 1 June 1979.
