7 News Belize

PSE Results Dismal In Math and Science
posted (June 6, 2017)
The results for the Primary School Examinations are in, and they continue to show that hundreds of Standard 6 students are failing. Right now, the Ministry of Education is preparing detailed reports for each of the more than 7,000 candidates who sat the exams, but, they already know how these children performed on the exams.

Of the 7,077 students who completed the English exam, 1,826 - or one quarter of the test takers - failed, meaning they got an "E", or a percentage score of 49% or lower.

The average test scores for this year are marginally up by 0.1 percent, but overall, they are similar to the other average scores for the past 10 years.

In Math, where there was the poorest performance, 3,451 candidates - or about half of the test-takers - failed. The Ministry says that immediate remedial actions will be taken following this outturn. The 10-year trends show that the average score for math remains around 51%.

And while math was dismal, so is science. In that subject area grades went way down compared to when 70% of the test takers scored in the Satisfactory or above ranges. This year's performance showed only 58% of test-takers in the same range. This year's average scores for this subject, which had been an area of strong performance, was second lowest in 10 years.

While math and science were weak, Social Studies was the strongest. The average score this year was a 68.1%, and the 10-year trend shows that this year was among the strongest.

No doubt, the topic of the 11-day strike by the teachers and what role it did or dint play with this year's results will be up for discussion.

Today, however, we went looking for that sliver lining, those kids who excelled.

We caught up with to as many of them as we could find in Belize City, to give you a look at the face of excellence. Here's what they told us today:

Curt Smith, 1st Place - Bernice Yorke
"You have to pay attention in class, make sure you do your homework properly and bring it to school on time. Stay focus."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Have you told you family; your mom, your dad about being the top performer?"

Curt Smith, 1st Place - Bernice Yorke
"No, they have not known yet."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"How are you going to break the news to them?"

Curt Smith, 1st Place - Bernice Yorke
"First I will say that I didn't make it and then afterwards I will tell them I came in first."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"It must be a shining moment for you all as parents."

Zenaida Smith, Mother
"Of course it is. I can't even describe it. I am just nervous and all."

Lloyd Smith, Father
"My wife have done an extremely sterling job. She has had a number of restless nights going to sleep - 11:30-12:00 _ I told her you'll wake up 4:30 - so she's been thoroughly behind him."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"I am sure that you are a very proud dad at this moment."

Lloyd Smith, Father
"I am, I am very proud of him. But she has done a very sterling job."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Your principal just broke this news to you, literally minutes before you start speaking with us."

Suamein Palacio, 2nd Place - Belize Elementary
"Well I am really excited. I just came and she pulled me out of class and she told me that I came in 2nd Place in the whole country and I couldn't believe it. It's just so exciting."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Did you expect that you would have performed this well?"

Suamein Palacio, 2nd Place - Belize Elementary
"We didn't expect to perform this well. I was studying every single day just trying to get as high as I could and my parents they would be proud of whatever I did."

Kai Blade, 7th Place - Belize Elementary
"The teachers really prepared us well. They gave us practice PSE, mocks, they make us write letters and stories and my parents they were really a big part of it. They help me, they guided me through all my work that's why it really paid off."

Shaheed Perez, 10th Place - Bernice Yorke
"My teachers really pushed me to my limit and I tried and I did my best and I think I deserve what I came in."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Were you prepared? I know I did excellently, I am going to get a good result."

Shaheed Perez, 10th Place - Bernice Yorke
"Yeah, I remembered those days at class, we stayed until 3:30 to do mock exam after mock exam, so I felt really prepared when I took the PSE."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Have you broken the news to your parents as yet?"

Shaheed Perez, 10th Place - Bernice Yorke
"Not as yet. I think I will tell them when I go home."

NahJah Perez, 10th Place - Bernice Yorke
"When I first heard that I came in 10th, I actually cried. I didn't really expect it, but even though a lot of people told me that how I would come in the top 25, they have confidence in. There is always this doubt in you and I didn't really think I would have placed in the top 25. So when I actually heard that I came in 10th I cried and I was excited."

William Stanes, 13th Place - Ebenezer
"It was really hard work. First of all I had to study a lot. My parents and my teachers did encourage me a lot to get prepared for my exams."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Have you had an opportunity to speak with your parents? What sort of reaction you think they will have given that you perform so excellent?"

William Stanes, 13th Place - Ebenezer
"I think they will be very excited. I haven't told them yet, because the results we just got it. I think they will be very excited because they have been waiting for it for a long time already."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Are you one of those students who is always in the top performance through the years here?"

Jalen Arnold, 16th Place - Bernice Yorke
"No, but I maintained like the top 12 maybe in my class and with the extra help from my teachers. Like we got tablets and stuff and so on the curriculum level we use those."

Azaria Guzman, 16th Place - Bernice Yorke
"First when our teachers gave us the news, I was quite excited and emotional that I actually came in the top 25 and I actually beat all the children, like I overcome all my fears. I was actually very nervous when I first saw the results."

Danielle Granados, 19th Place - Bernice Yorke
"This morning when they shared the news, there was a lot of tears of joy and it was just relieving to know that after the hard work that we put in, it paid off."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Was there any specific time in the exam maybe you had a little bit of doubt of your performance? Maybe you didn't answer a question you would have wanted to?"

Shanaia Pascascio, 19th Place - Bernice Yorke
"No, not really."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Tell us about when you will break the news to your parents?"

Shanaia Pascascio, 19th Place - Bernice Yorke
"I guess when I go to make a call to them."

Warren Wu, 19th Place - Bernice Yorke
"I knew that I was going to come in a high place, because my teacher and my parents always encourage me to do harder and work better and I was so happy that I found out today."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"What is your favourite subject?"

Warren Wu, 19th Place - Bernice Yorke
"My favorite subject is math."

So, to recap, the top 9 students from this year's PSE are Curt Smith of Bernice Yorke; Suamein (suamin) Palacio of Belize Elementary; Devyne Lopez of Punta Gorda Methodist; Leeanne Palma of St. Peter Claver in Toledo; Emily Young of Hummingbird Elementary; Sara Hernandez of Mary Hill RC in Corozal; Kai Blade of Belize Elementary; Ashton Daniels of The Shepherds Academy in Cayo; and Zachary Miranda of Hummingbird Elementary. 10th place was a 3-way tie between Nahjah Perez and Shaheed Perez of Bernice Yorke, and Edgar Chan of San Francisco RC in Orange Walk.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize