More than 6,500 primary school students sat the second part of the PSE today comprising the Social Studies and Math papers. Now Math is consistently the subject on which students perform most poorly. How did they do today? That's what Jim McFadzean asked.

Jim McFadzean Reporting,
Generation after generation, Belizean primary school students sitting both national and international qualifying exams have echoed the all too familiar response when it comes to the age old question about English and Math.

Kelsey Malik, Belize Elementary School
"Maths, because they had some very competitive questions that you really had to think about."

Nathan Perrera, Holy Redeemer Primary School
"I believe I performed well. The Math was a little challenging but overall it was okay."

Martha Mejia, Holy Redeemer Primary School
"Well, honestly, I think the Social Studies was definitely much easier than the Math because for the Math, every problem that you get, if you get one number wrong, the whole answer is wrong, especially with problem solving. So you have to be very careful."

Jim McFadzean,
"What was the most problematic today in the exams?"

Danilo Gongora, Holy Redeemer Primary School
"I would say Mathematics Problem Solving, sir."

Jim McFadzean,
"How did you feel about the exams? Did you find it difficult today?"

Maria Alcantara, St. Joseph Primary School
"It was very difficult. Actually, the Maths was very hard."

And so these sampled reactions given by students who took part 2 of the 2010 Belize Primary School Examinations, which included Social Studies and Math Paper 1 and 2 came as no surprise. Statistics over the last decade shows there's been little or no reversal in the underperformance by students as it relates to these two very important subjects, and the Ministry of Education says its time the schools reevaluate how they prepare students for the transition to secondary education.

Yvonne Davis, Principal Education Officer
"The Math test and the English test, both carry a writing paper. These papers require that the students answer questions to math problems and they are required to do two composition pieces -- a letter and a narrative, a little story. So they have to generate these themselves, so unlike the multiple choice tests, where there are 4 options, you can use test-wise skills to come up with the answer, you can do process of elimination. There are many ways if you are not certain of an answer on a multiple choice test, there are many things you can do to come up with the answer. However, when you are required to write a piece that comes from you, you are to show how much you know and what you are able to do in Math for a particular concept, in English, to design a particular piece."

That assessment is by no means scientific and while there are plenty of data being stored at the Ministry of Education on the results of these exams, Davis says there's no resources, human or otherwise to assess and analyze the data collected.

Jim McFadzean
"So nothing's changed after a decade in terms of the components, the contents of these exams, so why do we still have the same underperformance in English and Math?"

Yvonne Davis, Principal Education Officer
"We have also asked that schools put in place a strong language program, and also a strong math program, to improve the performance in these areas. And these programs will have to run continuously from Infant I up to Standard VI. Schools need not wait for Standard VI to begin to practice for PSE or to begin to practice for the transition to Secondary. They need to have a program running in their schools. And these programs need to have an assessment component built in at the end of every year. Teachers and principals need to check to see if they are meeting their standards and if the students are really measuring up."

Jim McFadzean
"If you were to not perform well in the examinations leading up to today, who do you think you should blame?"

Gerardo Zelaya, St. Joseph Primary School
"Myself. For not being very well prepared, not paying attention in class, and not studying well."

Jim McFadzean
"If both you young ladies were to under-perform, in these examinations, who would you blame for your under-performance?"

Namita Balan, Holy Redeemer Primary School
"Well, I wouldn't blame anyone because no-one is responsible for what I do. It's what I've written, what I've learned, what I've studied. So I can't blame anyone but myself."

Martha Mejia, Holy Redeemer Primary School
"Yes, what she said because I am the one who took the exam. Not my teachers. Not my parents. Not my principal. No one but myself so I would blame myself."

Jim McFadzean
"Reporting for 7 News, I'm Jim McFadzean."

Davis says the results should be ready by the end of May.