P.S.E. Not Likely to Happen Next Year

With five months of class sessions missed, it is not expected that students will be able to successfully sit the Primary Schools Examinations and CSEC Examinations next year.  In fact, according to Chief Education Officer Doctor Carol Babb, a number of students have regressed in their studies and it is likely that Belize will not participate in the P.S.E. and CSEC in 2021.

Dr. Carol Babb, Chief Education Officer

“The P.S.E. wasn’t administered last year and we doubt very much that it will be administered next year because we are working under not so normal circumstances. Children have been out for so long. We don’t know when schools will open so it is quite unlikely that we may not have P.S.E. next year but it is not finalized.”

Host

“How will S.B.A. be completed and what about CSECs?”

Cecilia Smith

Dr. Carol Babb

“Well SBAs, most of the SBAs were completed for last year. So for this coming school year we are not sure. These are the things that we need to revisit and discuss and decide how we will move forward because remember secondary schools will not official start until the fifth of October.”

Cecilia Smith, Deputy Chief Education Officer

“SBAs are really in class assignments and tasks that come along with the external examinations from the region, the CXCs. So once we get secondary schools going on October fifth then that online engagement that they will have combined with face to face instructions when we are able to do that they should be able to get going in terms of the curriculum. They are starting later so it will be a challenge but once the secondary schools get started they will be in a far better position to stay on track because of the connectivity that will be on place with them.”

Carol Babb

Dr. Carol Babb

“Belize is also a part of the Caribbean Examinations Council and that is something that we will have to decide whether we want to participate next year depending on the readiness of our students because you have to bear in mind that school has been out for a while. We have to admit that a number of our students have regressed. They are not at the level that we would want them to be so we will need to do an assessment to determine will out students be really ready for CXC next year.”