The 11-plus exam is set to be abolished in 2028, making way for a hybrid placement system, which Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman said will offer a fairer, more personalised route into secondary schools.
It was one of several reforms Blackman announced on Tuesday, but the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) has accused the government of sidelining educators, describing the overhaul as a “significant policy shift” made without proper dialogue.
News of the abolition
The abolition of the exam—part of a package of the most sweeping reforms of the Education Act since the introduction of the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination (BSSEE) in 1959–came in a ministerial statement to the House of Assembly.
Under the new reforms announced on Tuesday, students will be assessed through a blend of national written exams and continuous assessment, each carrying equal weight, to recognise a wider range of abilities. Blackman said the move will make placements “more equitable and competency-based”, after years of public debate and widespread calls for change.
The new model will track progress from Class 3 and Class 4, combining test scores with evidence from projects, portfolios, quizzes, and journals, under a framework to be piloted and refined before the 2028 rollout. The list of assessment subjects will expand from maths and language arts to include social studies with citizenship, and science.
“Students will have multiple sets of opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills competencies through various formats, not only via standardised written exams, but also through alternative assessment methods such as project-based work, curated portfolios, structured quizzes, reflective journals and observational checklists,” Blackman said.
Each pupil will move up to secondary school with a detailed learner profile recording academic strengths, challenges and learning styles, which will guide teachers, support tailored instruction, and, for those needing extra help, shape individualised education plans.
The reforms also aim to ensure that school allocations take into account both preference and location. Admissions will follow a 50:50 split of local and external candidates, with minimum scores applied but some flexibility for catchment-area students.
An appeals process will be set out for families facing “undue hardship” from placements, overseen by a ministry-appointed panel. “Student welfare will be paramount whilst ensuring that the placement framework is robust and impartial,” Blackman noted.
Teacher training in continuous assessment and differentiated instruction will begin this year, led by the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College and an international partner. The government has pledged a phased introduction, with adjustments as the new assessment framework is piloted and refined.
Blackman told MPs that the overhaul followed consultations with parents, teachers and unions, and reflected “a direct response to public consultation… designed to bring greater equity, personalisation and national confidence to Barbados’ education system”.
However, in a statement to Barbados TODAY, BUT president Rudy Lovell accused the ministry of failing to keep the union meaningfully engaged in the process, particularly given the fact that Blackman’s statement “flies in complete contradiction to the previous path the ministry had laid out, which was formed after extensive consultation with stakeholders”.
Lovell said: “Our last formal engagement with the [ministry] on the matter of education reform took place approximately two years ago, with discussions at that time focused primarily on the concept of ‘schools of excellence’. Since then, there has been no structured consultation, no opportunity for input from the BUT, and no transparent exchange of information on the significant policy shift now being proposed.
“Given this lack of meaningful engagement and the absence of the necessary collaborative process that should precede such far-reaching changes, the BUT cannot, in good conscience, endorse or lend its approval to the proposed adjustments.”
He stressed that successful reform must be rooted in inclusive planning and input from those who will be responsible for implementation.
“We believe that any reform of this magnitude must be developed through open dialogue, evidence-based planning, and the genuine involvement of all key stakeholders, including the educators who will be directly responsible for its implementation.” (FW/SB)
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