Education

Private Schools Come Out On Top

Private schools captured the top spots in this year’s Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination (BSSEE).

Finn Graham of St. Winifred’s School and Aryanna Bascombe of Providence Elementary School are the top performers in the BSSEE, also known as the Common Entrance Exam and the 11-Plus.

Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METVT), Kay McConney, made the announcement earlier today, during a press conference in the Media Resource Department at her Ministry.

The top boy is headed off to Queen’s College, while the top girl will enter Harrison College in September.

Finn and Aryanna received identical marks, gaining 99 in Mathematics, 96 in English, and an A in Composition, for an overall score of 246.81.

Leading up to the announcement, Minister McConney commended all those students who wrote the BSSEE this year, which saw students of 68 public primary schools and 26 private primary schools sitting the exam. She added there was a noted decrease in the number of students who took the Common Entrance Exam in 2023 when compared to this year; 252 more students wrote the exam this year.

The Education Minister further stated that there was also a decrease in the number of requests for special support during the examination, from 180 requests last year to 138 requests this year. She attributed the decline in requests for special support to the Ministry increasing the frequency and availability of appropriate testing for students, and continuing diagnostic testing for hearing and sight, which allowed it to identify challenges and provide early intervention for the students.

Ms. McConney said there was an increase in the number of students allocated to public secondary schools with 96.1 per cent sitting this year, compared to 95.4 per cent in 2023. Mathematics scores ranged from zero to 100, with five children scoring zero and nine students gaining 100 per cent, while 35 gained 100 per cent in 2023. However, in the English examination, the scores ranged from zero to 98, with one student scoring zero.

The Minister explained that the statistics overall indicate that there was no significant difference in the performance of students between 2023 and 2024. While she expressed concern at this finding, she said an in-depth analysis of the examination results was conducted by the Ministry. She stated consideration must be given to how best to optimise the potential of each student by going back to the basics of how children relate to what they are learning.

Ms. McConney also announced that the METVT will offer a free summer school programme to provide additional support to those students, primarily in Class Four, who have shown deficiencies in basic numeracy and literacy skills.

Meanwhile, when asked about the allocation of schools for the top students, Chief Education Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, indicated that this year, the focus was on highlighting all students, commending them for their hard work throughout the last year and their performance in the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination.

The Education Chief continued: “We wanted to highlight the fact also that the Ministry of Education is committed to providing an environment at every school that will be conducive to their learning and development, and this is the reason that we did not highlight particular schools this year.” (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Kay McConney, and Chief Education Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw at a press conference to announce this year’s Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination results.

Education

Immigration Webinar For Students Wishing To Study In Canada

Barbadians interested in pursuing studies in Canada are invited to participate in the online Immigration Seminar of the Consulate General of Barbados, in Toronto.

The Consulate, as part of its annual activities to observe National Heroes Day, is hosting a week of activities, and the key event will be the Immigration Seminar tomorrow Thursday, April 24, at 6:00 p.m.

Over the past 12 months, there have been significant changes to the requirements and processes for obtaining an international student visa. As a result, the seminar will focus on the recent changes to the entry requirements for international students coming to Canada to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies.

Prospective students, as well as parents, guardians, guidance counsellors, school teachers and principals, who have a vested interest in obtaining the most up-to-date and accurate information to make the most informed choice from the available study options, are encouraged to participate in the online seminar.

Alana Alleyne, a barrister and solicitor, will cover areas such as the latest changes to international student visas, eligibility criteria for student visas, requirements for postgraduate work permits, and changes to eligibility for spousal work permits. (PR/GIS)

Education

Information Session For Teachers Keen On Working In USA

Primary school teachers interested in working in the United States of America (USA) are invited to an upcoming Information Session, tomorrow Thursday, April 24.

The session will be hosted in the Main Conference Room of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, Warrens Office Complex, Warrens, St. Michael, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The initiative is being facilitated by the Ministry, in partnership with the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Service, the Barbados Union of Teachers, and Participate Learning, a USA recruitment firm.

During the event, Participate Learning will share important information on the application and recruitment processes, as well as on working in the USA. (PR/GIS)

Education

Ellerslie Students Welcomed At Barbados’ Embassy In Panama

The Embassy of Barbados in the Republic of Panama was pleased to welcome The Ellerslie School students and staff to its Chancery in Panama City, recently.

Chargé d’Affaires, Sandra Gittens, in her welcome to the group, which included Principal, Andrea Baptiste and Deputy Principal, Carl Applewhaite, shared the history of the mission, noting that the Embassy was established in 2020.

Mrs. Gittens said this was “in line with the Barbados Government’s desire to strengthen its relations and cooperation with Panama across a number of areas, including trade, investment, tourism and education”.

She expressed the hope that the visit would signal the start of a new relationship with The Ellerslie School in pursuit of future student-to-student and teacher-to-teacher exchanges, in collaboration with the Ministries of Educational Transformation and Training and Tertiary Education and its Panamanian counterpart, within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.

Speaking on the value of learning a foreign language, First Secretary, Shireifa Joseph, spoke of her experience as a foreign language student and the positive impact that it has had on her career.

She encouraged the students to continue their foreign language journey, signalling that they were well on their way to becoming “bridge builders” in their future careers with the capacity to connect Barbados to other countries across the globe.

Counsellor at the Embassy, Michelle Carter, also noted the value of language learning, especially for those studying tourism, stating that developing a strong proficiency in a foreign language will serve as a critical tool in opening doors to their success in this sector, whether in Barbados or abroad. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Students, teachers and parents of the Ellerslie secondary school to the Embassy of Barbados in the Republic of Panama