GSAT SCORES DECLINE

Education Minister Ruel Reid says the application skills of students who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), was a major factor in the decline in scores for science.

Yesterday the Education Ministry disclosed that there were improvements in all subject areas except science, which showed a 4.5 per cent decline when compared with the corresponding period in 2016.

The Education Minister explained that the problem extends to the high school level, and this is a potential issue the Ministry will need to address in 2018.

Meanwhile, Jamaica is taking steps to get itself in line with international academic standards, so the achievements of local students can be compared with other countries.

The Education Minister confirmed that preparatory work is being conducted so that Jamaica can be a part of the international agencies responsible for certification.

His comments follow yesterday’s disclosure of GSAT data.

Hr acknowledged that other countries are part of an international testing system which allows their students to be compared using international standards.

“We actually are in discussions with the British Council to sign up for the test which is an international benchmark…”

The Education Minister who was a guest on Beyond the Headlines said the process needs to be done quickly.

“So that’s the start of the process, so we are in discussions and I’m hoping that we can have that done in short order because although we do benchmark our GSAT curriculum and testing, it’s not the same test that can be compared in the region or internationally,” he said.