Parents advised to allow students to rest before exams

Robinson stressed the importance of rest before exams. Photo: GIS
Robinson stressed the importance of rest before exams. Photo: GIS

Acting Education Officer, Candia Robinson, recommends that parents allow students breathing space this week ahead of the Grade Six National Assessment.

One thousand eighty-six students will take the annual test on Thursday May 26th and Friday May 27th, 2016.

This year 549 boys will sit the exam, 23 more than last year.

Five hundred and thirty- seven girls will also sit the exam, as compared to last year’s 532.

The Acting Education Officer for Curriculum, Measurement and Evaluation, cautioned parents whose children will be sitting the exams this week.

“One of the things that happened is that the students are put under so much pressure, and parents when they get the results they say they expected their child to have performed better. A lot of times because the child has been put under a lot of pressure they are very nervous during the day. We are advising parents to give it a little rest… and especially during the time of exams you do not stay at the center. Drop the child off and leave.” she stressed.

The Ministry of Education reports a 3% increase in the number of students registered to sit the exam this year.

Robinson wants students to be relaxed during the exams since this will allow them to perform better.

On day one, students will be tested on language arts and social studies, while on day two, mathematics and science will be administered.

All exams will be single multiple- choice papers, except language arts. This will consist of two components; a sixty item multiple choice paper and a composition paper.

The examinations are scheduled to begin at 8:00 am with an assembly at 7:45am, at 53 centres around the island.

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18 Comments

  1. Dominican too!
    May 28, 2016

    Resting is not the issue here. The students are ribbed every year. Parents should investigate how bursaries and scholarships are decided. What happens when twenty have the same number of points and government decides only one more of these can be added to the scholarships, then these 19 get bursaries. The same happens with the bursaries. In this case they get passes. But guess whose children get bumped off the list? This is an exam of oppression! Think about it!

  2. Dominican
    May 27, 2016

    A child I know was put under so much pressure from grade four to common entrance that now as an adult she still has exam anxiety.

  3. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    May 27, 2016

    Confidence is essential, one need to have confidence in themselves; stress, “pressure” should not be a matter of concern; the student is either capable, or not capable. The ability of a student to be successful where it pertains to examinations and passing depends on the students retention ability!

    Some people remembers everything those are usually the A Student that’s how we know who are A, B, and C: A student maintaining a GPA of 2.0 – 2.5 is regarded as a C, student: meaning in every test their score must be about 70% out of a hundred points.

    A “B” student should maintain a 3.0 plus GPA; for that to happen on every test they have to be between 70-80%, while the A student goes from 80-100% plus. Wether someome rest or not; matters nothing because during the rest period all that they learnt can be forgotten, they simply have to keep studying, and hope they are endowed with retention power!

  4. UDOHREADYET
    May 26, 2016

    Thank you Mrs Robinson… that is great advice! If taken, it will hopefully do wonders for their performance.

  5. Face the Facts
    May 26, 2016

    Encourage them and offer words of advice but do not place stress on them. No one can function properly if under stress.
    They should study the afternoon/evening before. No TV and Internet.
    They must have a nutritious dinner; not a heavy one. They must also go to sleep at a certain time so as to get the required amount of sleep time based on their age.
    The following morning they must get up at an appropriate time to get ready to go to school. They must have a proper breakfast; again, not a heavy one. They must be relaxed and happy.
    Those of you who have not yet written the exams, good luck to you.
    You are the future adults. During this stage of your life, study hard for also future success. Dominica is depending on you when that time arrives to assume your full share of responsibility as a national.
    God bless all of you students.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      May 27, 2016

      Facts, that comment is not altogether true; some people function even better while under stress. Yours truly have a sister, my younger sister way back when she in secondary school in Dominica she told me she function much better taking exams when she is under what Dominicans term pressure.

      She is still single, with a daughter, works everyday here in the United States, however, manage to go to college and earn who how many degrees, I do know, remember she also have her daughter she had to train and keep under control, I find she has done a excellent job of doing that since her daughter had to work and earn some degrees too.

      Her ambition is to become a medical doctor. Take it from one who walk that path, if you want it bad enough you what it takes to accomplish your goal. I worked sixty hours per week and still found time to go to school, (and had wife an pickney fu fed).

      And people don’s live under pressure it is “stress.”

  6. Good stuff :!:

    I use to wonder why Mum kept us kids on a short leash during exam time. We were not allow out for long after supper. Usually we were made study for the next exam. Then it was off to bed a bit earlier then usual.

    I hated the way the teachers loaded us down with homework even during exams. It seemed there was always regular homework to be done and then we had to study for the exam the next day. I still think teachers should show more consideration.

    In education one size does not fit all. There is a big difference between students. Not all kids learn at the same pace. But during exams I believe it is important to accommodate the child that might otherwise be taking work home to finish and then has to study for an exam.

    I can see sometimes both teachers and parents need coaching.

    God bless you Ms. Robinson! You are making a real contribution

    Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

  7. May 26, 2016

    I quote from the Acting Education Officer:

    “the students are put under so much pressure”

    In DNO’s earlier news item on this year’s National assessment I was shouted down for stating:

    Children should not be placed under that kind of “academic” pressure between the age of nine and eleven. The fact that success in the exam is linked to the monetary award of scholarships and bursaries places even greater strain on the child.

    I stand by my belief.

    We inherited the exam under colonialism (the UK’s loathsome 11-plus) and we have retained it long after it was discarded as flawed by our colonial masters.

    • May 26, 2016

      May I add, the God I know will not be blessing children for passing not demeaning then for failing.

      • May 26, 2016

        Sorry, should read “nor demeaning”

      • May 26, 2016

        Sorry, the above should read: “nor demeaning them…”

    • Unfortunately we sometimes hold onto methods and practices that have not worked well in the past even beyond the time when change is due.

      Exams with the old pass/fail concept may be something that should be reviewed.

      Students do well in subjects they enjoy. And these subjects will figure big in their chosen careers. More help should be given students to discover what it is they want to do for a living. Give them the guidance they need to get into that field. Instead I have watched as students were forced to take subjects they hated, had no aptitude for, and failed. Often they drop out of school and go nowhere.

      Monetary rewards such as scholarships and bursaries serve to motivate and help students financially. These are kids with the aptitude to go on to university who may not be able if it were not for scholarships. On the other hand for those who work hard but do not don’t win this help they make failure even more painful.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

      • That last line should have been

        “… but do not win this help.”

        Sincerely, Don …

    • UDOHREADYET
      May 26, 2016

      Your mixing your lazy mentality with a progressive mentality and it doesn’t mix. Dominica has a good education system, there has to be balance between education, creative arts and fun.

  8. True Dominican
    May 26, 2016

    Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Every student writing the exams will perform beyond expectations. Go with God.

    • I believe this applies to students who do their human best and then commit the results to the Lord.

      Study the very best you can. Then trust God. There is a peace that comes from resting on His promises that creates success when your steps are ordered by the Lord.

      Some of the most productive people in history were not intellectuals. In fact some did not do well in school. But they were people who knew God and obeyed His word. They loved His presence and walked with Him.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

    • Simply trusting the Lord and learning to rest in Him is helpful.

      Letting the kids know we have confidence in them helps. Avoid the stress. Drop that fussing about!

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

  9. gwensho
    May 26, 2016

    Thanks mam. tell the parents doh put red lavender and other on the kids

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