7 News Belize

PSE, A Look Inside
posted (June 6, 2011)
On Friday we told you about the results of the PSE. Tonight, as is customary, we'll speak with some of the top finishers and the principal of the top school.

That top finisher is Aliyah Marin at Holy Redeemer. The Lake I resident told us she was at home on Friday night when her father called her with urgent news:…

Aliyah Marin 1st in PSE
"Well I was at home watching the TV, I wasn't really watching the news as such then my dad call on the phone and he told me to turn on the TV hurry because you top the CXCs, - like dad no its the PSE's dad. By the time I turn on the TV it was already off so I stayed up like 10 in the night to watch the news - that's how I got, everybody else was just calling me."

Jules Vasuez
"Now is this something you expected?"

Aliyah Marin
"No, I didn't really expect first place at all, maybe in the top 10 or the top 25 but not the first place."

Jordan Murillo, 3rd in PSE
"I was very excited."

Reporter
"Did it came as a surprise to you?"

Jordan Murillo, 3rd in PSE
"Yes, because I thought I did well but I didn't expect to come in 3rd in the country."

Luani Fabro, Tied for Seventh in PSE
"We were going to the hospital to visit my mom and my uncle saw it and they were crowding around the television to see it and that's when he told me."

Jules Vasquez
"Were you surprise?"

Luani Fabro, Tied for Seventh in PSE
"At first I thought he was just messing with me. I was very surprise to find out."

Jordan Murillo, 3rd in PSE
"You just have to prepare well and you have to know the material like in Math, Science, English and Social."

Aliyah Marin 1st in PSE
"Evening classes I go to; Mr. Acevedo, Mrs. Palacio and Mr. Magana. I would like to tell them thanks. I go to Saturday's evening classes, morning classes, a lot of classes and I also put in my hard work as well."

Luani Fabro, Tied for Seventh in PSE
"I put in my hard work and I studied really hard for it."

Jules Vasquez
"You did the extra classes and everything?"

Luani Fabro, Tied for Seventh in PSE
"I took extra classes, morning classes, Saturday classes..."

Lourdes Alamina, Std. 6 teacher - Holy Redeemer
"Both of them are excellent students. They work hard, Aliyah - I think she works from she wake up till she goes to sleep at night. Luani - she tries, she works hard in spite of the difficulty she is going through right now. She shows that she can do it and they really work hard. They put their mind to whatever it is they are doing."

Aliyah Marin 1st in PSE
"I feel privilege to be that top student but not for on the country but for Holy Redeemer because it's been a while since we place first so I am happy that I am the student that let them come on top again."

Lourdes Alamina, Std. 6 teacher - Holy Redeemer
"A lot of people like to think that's it only standard 6 but it's not only standard 6; it's from all the way back in infants, once they get a good foundation, they have to keep working hard for it and we need the help of the parents, we need the help of everybody - the children - the teachers and everybody is included in this good grades that we have gotten so far."

Lourdes Alamina, Std. 6 teacher - Holy Redeemer
"Once the child is smart the teacher just has to guide that child towards getting a good grade and it doesn't matter where they come from. A child like Aliyah could have been in any school - she could have top and Luani the same. It doesn't matter; you just have to put them and push them and make sure they are serious about their work."

And a minor correction to the list we presented on Friday. Adrian A. Armstrong, not "Adriana Armstrong" of Louisiana Government School was tied for fourth.

And while the top finishers are always the best and the brightest, the true test of excellence is for the top performing school. For the second year in a row it is the Bernice Yorke Institute in Belize City. That's school's 14 students did the best as a group and today their Principal told us there's no secret other than hard work:

Sherry Ali, Principal - Bernice Yorke
"We see PSE and exam taking begin in pre-school. We believe in early childhood education and we try to push early childhood education and we ensure that before students are move from one level to another that they are prepared - they have mastered certain skills especially in math and language. so when they come to the upper divisions they don't have to struggle - it's not a struggle for them at the upper division or the middle division. They continuously do well because we demand excellence."

Jules Vasquez
"Were you surprise at the results?"

Sherry Ali, Principal - Bernice Yorke
"No, I expected them to do well. There is no magic formula you know - it's simply always demanding excellence and ensuring before a child can move from one level to another level that they are prepared. I think that is the most important consideration. You can teach and have a school anywhere as long as the quality of education remains the same then I think excellence is what you'll achieve."

Rounding out the top three schools, they are all private. Hummingbird Elementary and Belize Elementary tied for second. And while the occasion of the PSE results area great time to honour excellence, the truth is, for most students, there's nothing much to celebrate.

With the average grade in math in the 40's, and English just over 50 - most students are not passing these critical major subjects.

And in the 12 year of administering this exam - the national average in math and English has only gone over 60 once - and there's no trend indicating sustained improvement. In fact, the scores fluctuate, up one year, right back down the other. Today in an interview with the head of the examination section, Jules Vasquez proposed that with this record of failure - which only affects the children who have to live with the bad grade - why not just scrap the exam altogether? Here's how that exchange went:…

Jules Vasquez
"All this does is make a student feel awful. Our teachers and administrators don't feel any way, they continue on their merry way - sending another flock of sheep to the slaughter next year. Scrap this exam! This is helping no one! They are learning nothing - they are not improving. Scrap it and let's try to fix something and then we try it again in 10 years."

Yvonne Davis - Education Officer for Exam
"I totally disagree with your point of view and your description because this is not what this dada is saying. What this data is saying is that we have a problem and it needs to be fixed. It is not saying that it is sanctioning anyone whether they are students or teachers - it is saying to us we have a severe problem that needs to be address and that's what we need to do. I agree that each time you look at the results and you see 47 0r a 45 - it's very dismal and discouraging. Perhaps a review of the exam and looking at the level of the exam would be a good thing to do and to see if maybe what is going on in primary at the curriculum level - maybe we are not reaching the curriculum level that we should be reaching in the system and so its time - we have enough information, the data speaks to us every year that we have a problem in math and now it is time. The debate has to continue and actions need to be taken."

"The Ministry of Education in the release has announced that there will be an intervention to help the teachers to improve and increase their capacity in the teaching of mathematics. So I think that is another step that the Ministry is taking to help make some improvement here."

"I believe the interventions if they are well utilized by the recipients and I mean the teachers and the students who will be involve in these interventions. I believe if they are applied well - I am sure that we could see some improvement - maybe a little spike in the performance next year."

"I call on the managements to do a whole lot more in their schools to ensure that teaching occurs and not only teaching - but the teachers are equip with capacity to deliver the curriculum in these areas that are weak. I really want to call on the managers to do a whole lot more. The Ministry of Education in itself cannot completely answer all the questions and solve all the problems. We need everyone who have a steak in education to play a role."

We are aware that we missed plenty of kids who excelled in the top ten - and for all their fans - we promise to try and speak to them when the PSE awards are held….

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