PEP IN STEP

THE LEVEL of proficiency by students who sat the 2023 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations is encouraging when compared to 2019, the last time the full complement of the pre-secondary school tests were used to assess students.

During the COVID-19 era, 2020-2022, the Ministry of Education and Youth had somewhat tweaked the now five-year-old exams to fit school operations during the pandemic.

According to Education Minister Fayval Williams, the ministry will continue the plans and emphasis they had on literacy and numeracy.

“We will continue the coaching progress that we have and continue all our strategies that our teachers use in the classrooms to pull out students,” Williams said.

The minister made the disclosure at the PEP examination results press conference held at the ministry’s Heroes Circle office yesterday.

Performance breakdown

In the curriculum based test for mathematics, 41 per cent of students were proficient or highly proficient in 2019, compared to 57 per cent in 2023.

In science, 49 per cent of students were proficient or highly proficient in 2019, compared to 64 per cent in 2023.

The ministry said in social studies, 63 per cent of the students were proficient or highly proficient in 2019, compared to 67 per cent in 2023.

Language arts was also a subject area in which the students showed progress. In 2019, 55 per cent of the students were proficient or highly proficient, compared to 60 per cent in 2023.

“We know that at the primary schools we have a lot of work still to do, the early childhood sector as well,” Williams said, adding that she would love for all students to enter high school performing proficiently.

The overall performance of students is assessed in the categories beginning, develop, proficient or highly proficient.

The ministry said 36,105 students were registered to sit PEP, of which 18,452 were males and 17,653 females.

The breakdown of public and private school was 31,798 and 4,307, respectively.

The grade five performance task done in June 2022, grade six ability test (February 2023), performance task in mathematics and language arts (March 2023) and the curriculum based test (four components) (April 2023) were used to assess students.

The girls reportedly outperformed the boys in mathematics and language arts.

“The pattern is what we have observed over the years … there is some disparity between our boys and girls. (Have to) redouble our efforts to bring the boys up and support our girls,” Williams said.

The ministry said some 30,984 or 85.8 per cent of the students were placed in a school of their choice.

Williams said 4,134 or 11.5 per cent were placed in a secondary school within a 10-mile radius to their primary school.

Similarly, 566 or 1.57 per cent were manually placed in schools in proximity to their address.

The ministry also said the students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) who sit PEP are matching up.

“PATH students’ placement reflect the general placement because PATH students have choices as to which school they go to,” Williams said.