Tuesday, October 31, 2017

HIST 3030 The Evolution of Social Policy in Barbados: Levisha Josiah on the Origins of the Common Entrance Exam in Barbados

The origin and evolution of the Common Entrance Examination in Barbados and its effectiveness in achieving quality education 1959-1982

By, Levisha Josiah
HIST 3030 The Evolution of Social Policy in Barbados

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.








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