Preparing for CSEC 2020; Fourth Formers Return to the Classrooms
Fourth form students are preparing to sit the 2020 CSEC examinations. They have been away from school since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown and the exams had to be rescheduled to mid-July. Going back to the classrooms has a different feel; there is social distancing to practice and they have to wear masks as part of their new routine. The students are generally happy to be back though the preparations are intense. Here is News Five’s Duane Moody.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It’s been three days since fourth form students and teachers across the country were to resume classes in preparation of the 2020 CSEC exams set to begin on July thirteenth. Since March, they have been out of the classroom setting and learning from home. Almost three months later, and with a new norm, some students—as we found out—were ready to return to classes.
Terrel Davis
Terrel Davis, 4th Form Student, S.J.C.
“It is rather hard to stay focus because you have all the distractions of home, so you are free to do everything at home. If we were at school, how it normally was and you go straight into it that would have been much better. We would have been done by now if that was the case, but that couldn’t happen.”
David Flores
David Flores, 4th Form Student, S.J.C.
“We are back to classes to prepare ourselves even more, it’s kind of a strange feeling, being more separated three feet and all of us wearing masks and bringing hand sanitizers – it really creates that atmosphere of precaution.”
Duane Moody
“Do you feel that you are prepared for CXC?”
Keithlyn Dawson
Keithlyn Dawson, 4th Form Student, Anglican Cathedral College
“Not fully, but getting there.”
Duane Moody
“Do you prefer being in the classrooms preparing than being at home?”
Keithlyn Dawson
“Yes, because at home, the online is easier, but you get distracted easily.”
Amaury Coc
Amaury Coc, 4th Form Student, Anglican Cathedral College
“It’s kinda difficult because I have a lot of distraction and I got work to do. But I think at the time, I will be ready.”
Duane Moody
“So you prefer being here at school than at home?’
Amaury Coc
“Yes sir. No distractions at school.”
For Amaury Coc, he will be sitting eight exams and is concerned about his readiness for the Spanish exams. Acting Vice Principal at Anglican Cathedral College, Janine Longsworth says that after testing its revised classroom and learning setup, students returned effective today. She says that the sessions leading up to the exams, include helping them to manage the anxiety associated with sitting the regional test.
Janine Longsworth
Janine Longsworth, Acting Vice Principal, Anglican Cathedral College
“We are back in school for fourth formers, particularly preparing them or helping to shoulder some of the anxiety especially that they may be facing in terms of preparations for CSEC. So coming for the next couple days is going to be centred around that. We have a full time table, as per normal. Students know that they come of the eight o’clock hour; they stay here up until the end of the day and during that time they have forty-minute slots for each subject. If they are challenging the subject, then of course, teachers know that they have to work through that system with the students. But generally, Duane, it’s back to work as normal.”
Over at Saint Catherine Academy, the school is embracing online education and are continuing with virtual learning modules to prepare its fourth form students for the upcoming CSEC exams. Today, we found the heads of departments and principal discussing the way forward for the next academic year – which will incorporate blended learning.
Anna Auil
Anna Auil, Head, Religion & Aesthetics Department, S.C.A.
“…lay out all the options that the ministry had afforded us. One was the shift system, two was the blended learning and three was the flip classroom with the modules where kids have the opportunity to watch the video, take their assessment multiple times and then fourth was online completely. We felt that option two and three, a hybrid of those, which is the blended classroom with the modules would be the best for us because it would give the kids an opportunity to come to school but also allow them to all learn at the same time. So we have the synchronous learning where nobody gets left behind and we are able to accomplish more.”
Orrin Castillo
Orrin Castillo, Head, Math Department, S.C.A.
“Myself and a couple other teachers have used www.testmodes.com where you can upload your own questions and when the students take it, it gives them feedback—right away they know which ones they got wrong, how much they got correct, etc. And so we have been using those to help the students gauge how ready they are and help them prepare accordingly.”
Vice Principal of Student Services at Saint John’s College, Doctor Sol Yam says that eighty-six percent of its fourth form population is back in the classrooms, but their preparation for CXCs started from first form.
Sol Yam
Dr. Sol Yam, Vice Principal of Student Services, S.J.C.
“We started our preparations from first form; the first day that our students stepped into those classrooms. We focused on the submission of S.B.A.s in third form. We ensured that every single student completed their S.B.A.s. Some of them we had little challenges, like any other schools we had challenges, but we were able to address those having in mind that we had the support of the parents.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
