P.S.E. results out: scores for Math and English decline
Siyun Ye
Late this evening, the results of the Primary School Examinations were released by the Ministry of Education. A total of seven thousand five hundred and thirty-three students sat the exams which is a five percent increase over last year. This year, the Bernice York Institute again topped the exams. While last year they tied with Hummingbird Elementary, this time, Siyun Ye distinguished herself as top performer with a score of three hundred and ninety-one out of a four hundred points. Vincent Hulse and Esteban Nelson both from St Andrews Anglican School in the Cayo District and Jenessa Sierra from San Pedro Roman Catholic School all scored three hundred and eighty-six each, to place second in the exams. Meanwhile third place was taken by United Evergreen’s Agatha Petkau, Hummingbird Elementary’s Iani Adolphus, and Belize Elementary’s Sherry Tan and Alanna Rosado; they all scored three hundred and eighty-five point. While the top scorer was not available this evening because of the late report, we did catch the ecstatic vice principal from Bernice Yorke Institute, Sherry Ali. She told News Five that her school continues to do well because of the support from parents who work closely with teachers and students.
Sherry Ali, Vice Principal, Bernice Yorke Institute
“I am overwhelmed and shocked because I am not hearing this information at this late time in the day, but we expected to do well and we’re extremely pleased.”
Duane Moody
“Two of your students came in the twenty-five, top eighteen to be exact. Tell us about what that means for your school and the work that was put into it to ensure that you guys did so well?”
Sherrie Ali
“Well work doesn’t begin in standard five or six, it begins all the way down at preschool level. So at our school, we place emphasis on early childhood education and as well as learning or mastering each level as they move to the higher levels. So it is not only at the top; they have to master every stage.”
Duane Moody
“Now, Siyun Ye…she was the one that took top marks—‘A’s straight across the board for the P.S.E. Tell us about here…Did you think she was going to do this well?”
Sherrie Ali
Sherry Ali
“I know Siyun would have done well because she is an extremely hardworking, dedicated student. She has been with us since preschool. So we have seen the transition and her growth and she has been a top performer in her class since preschool. So it was no surprise that she did well. And not only that, I expect that all my students have done well because at our school the emphasis is on all of them passing. However, the fact that one student topped is icing on the cake.”
Duane Moody
“Even more so with the fact that this is the second year in a row that Bernice Yorke is bringing out the top student for the P.S.E.”
Sherrie Ali
“Yes, we’ve always done well; we’ve always continued to maintain our high standards and high traditions even though we are a school of limited resources. Like right now we are working on our building and we are doing lots of fundraising to try and raise funds so that we can have our own building because currently we don’t and we are operating with limited resources. So we’ve been able to accomplish all of this with our limited resources.”
Duane Moody
“What comment would you have for those who would say this is a private institution, it has less students, more focus is given to each child…so that is why you guys top the P.S.E.s every year?”
Sherrie Ali
“I think all students work hard and these students work just as hard as any other student and our focus is on the curriculum and ensuring that our students are well prepared—not only for being promoted, but they have mastered the skills to transition to the other level.”
We will have more on the results on Monday, but a quick perusal of the release indicates that the English proficiency was poor. Only fifteen percent of the students ranked in the B range and even less, four percent of the students received A scores. At the bottom rung of the ladder, twenty-five percent of the students were graded as E or inadequate in their proficiency in English since they scored at forty-nine percent or below. Twenty-eight percent of the students ranked D which ranges between fifty to fifty-nine percent for an adequate performance. Combined D and E performance accounted for fifty three percent of the performance for the students. Twenty-seven percent of the students were in the C or Satisfactory range which is from sixty to sixty-nine percent. While English was bad, the math performance was worse. In the E or Inadequate range, three thousand three hundred students or forty-five percent of those who sat the exam lacked the skills to pass it. Sixteen percent had D or Adequate scores, fourteen percent had C or satisfactory scores; eleven percent scored competent in the seventy to seventy nine percent range and fifteen percent scored A or excellent in the eighty to one hundred percent range.
Ever since this pm and gov have been in office and with this minister of education the education in this country has been in decline like everything else in Belize it’s so sad to see this once great nation in such decline the only things not in decline with this gov. Is thieving ,murder , rape, ,nastiness,,and last but not least total corruption.when will the people of this country wake up am starting to loose hope.
Congratulation to Ms. Ye! Your hard work and dedication paid off.
CONGRATS TO ALL THE KIDS WHO RECEIVED HIGH SCORES ON THEIR EXAMS!!!!! WITH THAT SAID, THE FACT THAT WE ARE SEEING A DECLINE IN BOTH MATH AND LANGUAGE ARTS, THE GOB SHOULD HAVE A REASON TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. THE GOV NEEDS TO PROVIDE BETTER PAY AND A STRICT SCREENING PROCESS TO EMPLOY THE BEST TEACHERS
AS A COMMUNITY, IT MUST BE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE THAT WE GET THE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS INVOLVED IN THEIR KIDS EDUCATION. WE MUST DEVELOP A SYSTEM WHERE EACH PARENT AND TEACHER IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR KIDS EDUCATION. ONE SUCH WAY IS TO HAVE THE PARENT SIGN THEIR NAME TO EVERY HOMEWORK THAT IS ASSIGNED TO EACH CHILD. BY DOING THIS, IT WILL ALLOW EACH TEACHER TO KNOW THAT THE PARENTS/GUARDIAN IS STAYING ON TOP OF, OR KEEPING ABREAST OF THEIR CHILDS/CHILDREN SCHOOL WORK, ANOTHER WAY IS TO HAVE EACH PARENT/GUARDIAN EARN POINTS THROUGH A VOLUNTEERING SYSTEM THAT WOULD SERVE AS A TRACKING SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY PARENTS WHO ARE NOT LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR KIDS; AND AS A RESULT THE SCHOOL WOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE KIDS WHO NEEDS THE MOST HELP.
THE VOLUNTEERING SYSTEM WOULD WORK BY HAVING EACH PAREN/GUARDIAN AID THEIR KIDS SCHOOL BY VOLUNTEERING IN SOME CAPACITY TO CREATE A BETTER LEARNING EXPERIENCE/ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR KIDS. THIS COULD BE DONE BY ORGANIZING SPECIAL EVENTS SUCH AS PROFESSIONAL DAYS, WHEREBY YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE FROM BOTH THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS COME IN AND TALK TO THE KIDS AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL ABOUT THEIR PROFESSSIONS…. ORGANIZE FIELD TRIPS…. HAVE CLEAN UP CAMPAIGNS BY HAVING PARENTS AND STUDENTS GO TO LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS TO AID IN CLEANING THEM UP; THIS IN TERM WOULD HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THOSE AREAS TO TAKE PRIDE IN CARING FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES …. END OF THE YEAR AWARDS DAY TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOUR OUTSTANDING STUDENTS…..CLASS PARTIES… SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION DAY I.E. AT THE OUTSET OF EACH TERM/SEMESTER, BOTH KIDS AND PARENTS WOULD COME IN AND CLEAN UP AND BEAUTIFY THEIR SCHOOLS…..ORGANIZE SPORTS DAY……FORM A PARENTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION….. AND MOST OF ALL BY DONATING, WETHER IT BE MONETARY OR SUPPLIES I.E. SCHOOL SUPPLIES, OR ANY OTHER THING THAT THE SCHOOL MIGHT BE IN NEED OF, .
TEACHERS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY HAVING THEM TAKE TESTS AT THE END OF EACH TERM/SEMESTER OR ANNUALLY,TO ENSURE THAT OUR KIDS ARE GETTING THE BEST TEACHERS/HENCE THE BEST EDUCATION. TO SOME THIS MIGHT SOUND HARSH, BUT IF WE WANT TO SEE A BETTER BELIZE, WE MUST START WITH OUR EDUCATION SYSTEMS, BECAUSE IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE TO LINK THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR SOCIETY OR MORAL FARIC TO THE FACT THAT OUR KIDS ARE NOT EDUCATED AND GUIDED TO BECOME BETTER HUMAN BEINGS . I THINK THAT OUR KIDS NEEDS TO BE INTRODUCE TO A SYLLABUS THAT CHALLENGES THEM, ESPECIALLY THE GIFTED STUDENTS. WE NEED TO EXPOSE OUR THEM TO LAB WORKS AND DIFFERNT TYPES OF EXTRACURICULLA ACTIVIES AT THE PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL STARTING AT STARDARD ONE WHICH IS THE EQUIVALENT OFGRADE THREE HERE IN THE U.S. …. I THINK THAT IF WE CHALLENGE OUR KIDS, WE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO SEE HOW SOME THEM RISE TO THE OCCASION.
Does this surprise anyone? when the teachers are being told that all children must pass and a failing grade is not accept cause it will reflect bad on the school.
Some professors can’t even make mention about this reality or they walk through the door.
How can the future of our children be any brighter if the parents and school sabotage the real performance of the children.
Look deeper curving the grades will not only hurt and lie the child but hurt the entire nation all together.
Why is it that we hold the Government responsible for all our failures? When will we as citizens take some responsibility for the development of our nation? There must be some personal responsibility and collaboration between family, schools and government. If we can do this consistently, we will begin to see change.
And by the way. Ny. We don’t want any education model from the us that’s why their are nothing but dunce people in America today because their teaching methods are the worse in the world so please keep your us ideas to yourself please.
great work , top five deserve full scholarship to the High School of their choice. plus an IPAD and one year free internet from BTL. make the prize match the sacrifice. a little plaque signed by the minister is nice but useless, for the students,
Parents must be held responsible first and then the school. If there is no support system at home then the behavior learnt at school only dissolves once at home. There is no use in forcing the mule to drink the water when there is no interest by the parents and I have seen this first hand. Teachers try very hard with difficult students and parents, believe you me cause I am an educator. It is our job to help our children move forward ,but it can only be done when parents step in and know their role and responsibility.
Parents must be held responsible first and then the school. If there is no support system at home then the behavior learnt at school only dissolves once at home. There is no use in forcing the mule to drink the water when there is no interest by the parents and I have seen this first hand. Teachers try very hard with difficult students and parents, believe you me cause I am an educator. It is our job to help our children move forward ,but it can only be done when parents step in and know their role and responsibility.