Over 7,000 Students Sit Day 1 of P.S.E.
Over seven thousand students across the country sat part one of the Primary School Examinations today. Of that number, one hundred and sixty-five students were provided with special arrangements to sit the exam. The students took the English and Science exams today which included multiple choice questions and two writing components. We stopped by some of the exam centres in Belize City to find out how students felt about the first day of P.S.E. News Five’s Andrea Polanco reports.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Seven thousand two hundred and twenty-eight students across all six district registered for part one of the Primary School Examinations today. Day one included two papers, English and Science. Thirty examination centers were active across the country and this afternoon we caught up with students outside of some of the centers in Belize City. They shared more about how they felt after they completed Paper Two – the Letter Writing and Narrative Writing.
Ahmad LaCroix
Ahmad LaCroix, Student, Holy Redeemer RC School
“The Language Paper was a little bit challenging for the writing but I got used to it thanks to my teacher who helped me very much. Shout out to Miss Moore. She helped me a lot and I want to thank her for all that she has done for me. She is the one who helped me to produce the story, the letter and the multiple choice. So, thanks to her help it was kind of easy. For the story, I wrote about switching bodies with my pet for a day. It included that I woke up as my pet and my pet woke up as me. We switched bodies for a day and I found out how hard it was to be a pet and my pet found out how hard it was to be a person and then we switched back.”
Jayla Nembhard, Student, Ebenezar Primary School
“The story. The story was hard.”
Jayla Nembhard
Hipolito Novelo
“What did you write about?”
Jayla Nembhard
“The day I switched places with my pet.”
Hipolito Novelo
“You managed to write that out?”
Jayla Nembhard
“A little bit.”
Hipolito Novelo
“How was the English Paper?”
Reajine Supaul
Reajine Supaul, Student, Holy Redeemer RC School
“For me, I wouldn’t say I am a writer’s person but I would say it was not too hard and not too easy. It was just perfect. For me, I have struggled a lot in writing so my teacher Ms Moore – she is a very good teacher. She teach us step by step; how to do this and what to use and how to use it and when to use it. And that is why I love to write now so it wasn’t that hard for me.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Did u get stuck in any questions and how long did it take you to finish?”
Taushaun McFadzean
Taushaun McFadzean, Student, Holy Redeemer RC School
“No, sir. It took like ninety minutes or something like that.”
Hipolito Novelo
“How did you prepare for that?”
Taushaun McFadzean
“Hmmm. I studied hard.”
Paper One contained fifty English multiple choice questions and fifty science multiple choice questions. Some of the students found it fairly easy while others say it was challenging.
Hipolito Novelo
“How about the Science paper – how was that for you?”
Kylah August
Kylah August, Student, St. Martin DePores Primary School
“Easy.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Why do you say that?”
Kylah August
“Because it neva so difficult.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So, you didn’t have any questions where you had to think hard until you get it?”
Kylah August
“No.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So, it was really easy then?”
Kylah August
“Yes, sir.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So, you feel comfortable leaving the compound that you will pass Science?”
Kylah August
“Yes!”
Hipolito Novelo
“How was the science paper? Any difficult questions?”
Jevaun Panting
Jevaun Panting, Student, Grace Primary School
“Half of it was difficult.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Why do you say that?”
Jevaun Panting
“Because some I didn’t really study for and the rest they were new, so.”
Tamaine Ottley
Tamaine Ottley, Student, Holy Redeemer RC School
“Well for the Science paper, I did find a couple of questions difficult but I tried to remember why my teachers had taught me and I got through them.”
Hipolito Novelo
“What questions or statements weren’t easy?”
Tamaine Ottley
“Well, some about simple machines and then especially the pulley ones.”
Reneisha Arnold, Pilgrim Primary School
“Hmm Science mi nice. It mi easy, too.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Did you study for that at all?”
Reneisha Arnold
Reneisha Arnold
“Yes, sir.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Did you have any questions you really had to think about?”
Reneisha Arnold
“No, sir. Nuh really. I mi like everything about it.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So you feel comfortable that you wah pass?”
Reneisha Arnold
“Yes, sir.”
The Belize district recorded the highest number of students sitting the exams with one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four candidates. The Corozal district recorded the lowest number of students sitting the exam with seven hundred and ninety-three candidates. For the first day, three thousand six and fifty-two males sat the exam while three thousand and five hundred and seventy-six of the candidates were female. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
Day-two of the P.S.E. is scheduled for Friday, May third.
