Day two of PSE; students say math hard, social studies easy

Day two of the PSE took place today at different locations countrywide. Close to eight thousand primary school students sat the exams. While a number of students were comfortable with social science, math is still a challenge for the majority. News Five’s Jose Sanchez, spoke to students from various primary schools.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Today close to eight thousand students completed Day 2 of the Primary School Examinations.  The students across the country were focused on Math and Social Studies.

Jamie Fuller, Student, Bethel Primary School

Jamie Fuller

“Math one, math paper two and social studies.”

Jose Sanchez

“You got a smile on your face. Any indication about how you felt about the exams?”

Jamie Fuller

“Good.”

Jose Sanchez

“What was difficult; what was easy for you?”

Jamie Fuller

“Well the social studies was easy. The math paper two mi difficult.”

Eve Forbes

Eve Forbes, Student, Bethel Primary School

“The math mi kinda difficult, but the social studies mi kinda easy.”

Jose Sanchez

“Anything in particular that you enjoyed about the exam?”

Eva Forbes

“The social studies. It was easy because it ask about the cabinet.”

Yvonne Davis, Principal Education Officer, National Exams

Yvonne Davis

“A total of seven thousand nine hundred and thirty-one we have sitting the exam today. This is a difference of a hundred and forty-two from day one. We have a hundred and forty-two less. These are students who have been reported to us from the schools as students who have dropped out of the school since we registered them in November.”

Jose Sanchez

“Is that one forty-two an unusual number?”

Yvonne Davis

“For us, no. normally it is about two hundred persons who do not take the exams—either they are absent for whatever reason or are sick for that day and have dropped out. So this number reflects only the dropouts that have been reported to us since November. But the number is not unusual for us; it usual goes to about two hundred.”

Erica Amaya

Most of the students were happy the exams were over, but seemed positive about their performance.

Erica Amaya, Student

“The difficult one was math paper two and the kinda easy one was the social studies.”

Jannelly Dougal, Student, All Saints Primary School

“I thought it was a little bit challenging. But everything you get it was kinda difficult. But I felt good about it and I think I get it right.”

Jannelly Dougal

Mira Mahler, Student, All Saints Primary School

“Well I go dah All Saints School and the PSE, it was kind of challenging but it was also easy.”

Principal Education Officer for National Exams, Yvonne Davis explained that the math was relevant to real life in Belize.

Yvonne Davis

“The profit margin; how much would you pay for a CD player if you buy it at eighty dollars at it is sold at fifteen percent profits. How much would you gain from that? I was telling you about the higher purchase which is a popular thing now in Belize. I notice that they are advertizing higher purchase and lay-away. So we begin to get the children familiar with what is out there. And then of course the GST; always a question on GST and our GST is set at twelve point five percent. So you cannot get away from that. Gives them a lot of trouble to calculate twelve point five percent of whatever.”

Shanique Baltazar

By the end of the first week in June, the results should be announced.

Shanique Baltazar, Student, All Saints Primary School

“To me none of them were difficult because at All Saints, our teacher prepared us very well. It was a breeze for me. I think I did really well because I studied for it and we were prepared.”

Jose Sanchez

“I can’t help but notice that you have on your rosary. Was that for good luck? Were you praying for the exam?”

Shanique Baltazar

“I wear it every day and of course I pray because if it wasn’t for god we wouldn’t be here. And every morning we pray so that god can be with us.”

Rayla Good, Student, All Saints Primary School

Rayla Good

“Everything mi easy cause my teacher prepare we and she mi prepare we good and we study good.”

Leandra Estrada, Student, All Saints Primary School

“Science and the language mi kinda easy. The math two mi challenging. The social studies that mi kinda easy a little bit, but the math two mi really challenging. The multiple choice; that mi kinda easy too.”

Kiana Gonzalez

Kiana Gonzalez, Student, All Saints Primary School

“Social studies was kinda difficult and the math was easy for me. Only part two was kinda hard. But other than that math was easy. And our teachers from All Saints mi prepare us good too.”

“Reporting for Channel Five, Leandra Estrada.”