NGSA gets underway incident free

Apr 17, 2014 News

Mixed emotions prevailed yesterday as the 2014 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) got underway. Pupils decked in their school uniforms were seen scurrying to the various examination centres across the country yesterday morning in order to access the assessment papers that were slated to be administered.
Although there were some who appeared anxious, there were others who were expressionless as they made their way into the examination rooms.

Celebration after hard work: Pupils of the Stella Maris Primary in rejoicing mode

Of interest too was the fact that some parents and other relatives, who accompanied the pupils to the examination centres, appeared even more uneasy than the pupils.
Yesterday the pupils were assessed in the subject areas of English Language and Science. The assessments are scheduled to continue today with pupils being tested on the subject areas of Social Studies and Mathematics.
Pupils are expected to complete two segments (Papers One and Two) of each subject area. The resulting scores are expected to guide the pupils’ placement at secondary level schools.
According to information from the Ministry of Education, more than 15, 000 pupils are slated to participate in the NGSA. And based on reports from a number of centres across the country, the first day of the assessments went rather well.
This pronouncement was substantiated by Superintendent of Examination, Saudia Kadir, who disclosed that all logistical system were in place and all minor administrative issues were addressed, thereby allowing for the assessment process to be conducted. “Things are going well, and we at the Ministry are always happy when things are going well,” said Kadir in an invited comment yesterday.
She however, disclosed that she could not comment further on the assessments since the process only commenced yesterday.
The Ministry of Education in a statement issued recently disclosed that pupils who failed to adhere to the Ministry’s caution to keep all cellular phones and other electronic devices out of examination rooms could be barred from the examination. “We are therefore asking candidates to leave such devices at home. Any candidate found with such devices during the examination will be disqualified,” added the statement.
However, there were no reports yesterday of moves to disqualify any candidate.
This publication was able to visit a number of examination centres and several pupils disclosed that the assessment papers were easy even as they expressed confidence that they would be able to secure places at top schools; mainly Queen’s College.
The Education Ministry had earlier this year identified the dates for the NGSA as well as the date by which the results should be available. This development, according to the Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, is in keeping with efforts to regularise the NGSA programme so as to ensure that “people are not waiting and anxious and asking us every day when it will be out; we kind of know when that will happen,” assured the Minister.
Last year the top performing NGSA candidate was Salma Majeed of the ISA Islamic Academy who secured 548 marks out of a possible 560.