Cap will benefit students

I am a teacher with over 12  years experience at both the primary and secondary levels and Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) and National Certificate of Secondary Education (NCSE) examination marker. I am of the view that the Continuous Assessment Programme (CAP) is needed more than ever to help maximise the potential of our students. Children who are not academically strong in mathematics and language will now have an opportunity to do well in other areas, such as physical education, drama, dance, music, art and even agricultural science. This measure is a necessary step in the globalised world that we live in to expose and test students in areas other than mathematics and language. Parents often fail to recognise and develop the talents in their children and this sometimes leads to frustration. The SEA examination in its present format can compound this harmful practice of parents. For example, the talents of musically inclined students are stifled during SEA, with music and dance classes being sacrificially stopped for a mathematics or grammar lesson.

 

Howard Gardner, a renowned psychologist and educator, talks about multiple intelligences in children. And with T&T having so many multi-talented children, the CAP programme will allow them to truly express themselves in their various talents. Students who are rewarded for their abilities in singing, dancing and drama will now be viewed as intelligent and will have less stress and not be stigmatised as being “intellectually challenged” or “special” but equal to everyone else with other types of intelligences. With the school year now in the third term, this gives teachers enough time to both prepare children for the SEA and to thoroughly assess them under the CAP system. Presently the extra time preparing for the SEA creates more stress for the children as they are doing more mathematics and grammar. If however this preparatory time is used for the various subject areas outlined in the CAP system, it will serve to break the monotony and make SEA exam preparation more fun and meaningful.

 

With science omitted with the replacement of the Common Entrance exams by SEA, Form One students tend to be extremely weak as no science is done in preparation for SEA. The CAP will ensure this changes, as science as well as other areas will be better assimilated at the secondary level. Perhaps even the choice of subjects for the O-level (CSEC) exams may reflect a resurgence of these aesthetic areas, with students choosing to do science or business with the same prestige as choosing art and music. This will lead to the enrichment of the culture of T&T and to artistes capable of international recognition. This CAP is not just extra work for teachers, students and parents but a revolution of change sweeping the education system. The way we look at education is going to change. There will no longer be discrimination of students who are weak in mathematics and language but they will be admired for their skills in other areas. This will give them more self-confidence, which can indirectly make them better mathematics and language students. It can also result in a reduction of indiscipline in schools as these students will no longer feel frustrated due to their weaknesses in other areas. Congratulations to Education Minister Tim Gopeesingh for leading the change.

 

Robbie Seenath

Via e-mail