The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has rejected government’s claim that Tuesday’s 11-Plus examination ran smoothly, arguing that reported issues point to serious weaknesses in the system.
While more than 2700 students sat the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE), the DLP’s spokesman on Education, Quincy Jones said the problems experienced yesterday could not be dismissed as “minor hiccups”, as described by Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman.
“What Barbados is witnessing is not a slight delay or inconvenience; it is a clear and troubling breakdown in the Ministry’s systems,” Jones said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
He highlighted reports that examination papers arrived late at the St Michael School, affecting students from multiple primary schools, and raised concerns about last-minute arrangements for candidates requiring special accommodations.
Jones also questioned whether adequate emergency protocols were in place at centres to deal with medical situations involving students.
“[These] are not administrative “hiccups.” They are signs of poor planning, weak execution, and a failure to manage the basic responsibilities of the office,” he said.
The comments come after Blackman maintained that the BSSEE was largely successful, noting only a delay at one centre.
“There was some delay earlier at the St Michael School, but we’re going to ensure that we look into it,” the minister told reporters following the exams, while assuring that overall the process “ran smoothly”.
But Jones argued that the scale of the issues, particularly at a high-stakes national exam, should not be downplayed.
“For decades this country has successfully conducted major examinations such as CSEC and CAPE without this level of confusion and disorder. The difference today is not the system; it is the leadership overseeing it.
“The Minister cannot hide behind soft language and public relations spin while students sit in uncertainty, teachers scramble for solutions, and parents are left concerned about both fairness and safety,” Jones said.
The DLP is now calling on the Ministry to provide answers on the cause of the delays, the readiness of centres to accommodate students with special needs, and the measures in place to protect vulnerable candidates during emergencies.
“If examination papers are arriving late, if centres are stretched beyond capacity, and if there is no clear communication on how medical emergencies like seizures or diabetic episodes are handled, then the system is failing,” Jones shared.
“The country deserves clear answers: why were examination papers late? Why was there inadequate preparation for the growing number of students requiring special accommodations? What emergency systems are in place to protect vulnerable students during examinations?”
He added that Barbadians “expect competence, not excuses”, insisting that the Minister must take responsibility for the issues raised.
The post DLP calls on Government to address 11-Plus issues appeared first on Barbados Today.
