00:00The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association says as part of the government's plan to reintroduce the continuous assessment component
00:08in September,
00:09a consultation with the Ministry of Education was held on May 27th.
00:14Tutor's President Christelle Bevin-Ash notes that it was something which was done under the previous UNC administration.
00:21And then it became very cumbersome. So we urged them not to go down that road to ensure that it
00:25doesn't go down that road.
00:26So they assured us that it wouldn't, but we're still going to put it in writing.
00:30Ash states that it is intended to be a series of smaller examinations, which will begin at the standard for
00:36primary school level,
00:37contributing to the final secondary entrance assessment pass mark.
00:42Tutor tells us that while the previous CSC rollout had monitors who would go to the schools to ensure that
00:48teachers were conducting the exams
00:50in accordance with the Ministry of Education's standards,
00:53there are now intentions to put that responsibility on school supervisors and curriculum officers.
00:59Tutor asked the question yesterday, how will this be possible?
01:03Because these persons already have quite a lot on their plate.
01:06And then we're dealing with the legal aspect of it too, because many persons are not aware.
01:11The school supervisors, in terms of the Education Act, it says that the school supervisor will treat with the principal.
01:17You guide the principal in the execution of his duties. You don't really interact with the teacher.
01:21Ash believes it leaves room for conflict, where job specifications can be tampered with.
01:27Tutor is also concerned about the children with special needs in the system, saying many of them are supposed to
01:33have aides.
01:34No, you may not notice, but sometimes children finish the whole primary into secondary school and they never receive the
01:40aid.
01:40Never mind, requests are being made by the school, it would be made by student support services,
01:45but for whatever reason, they just don't hire enough.
01:48If the CSC is to be reintroduced, Tutor indicates that those children cannot be left behind.
01:53We have to cater for them. The ministry has a responsibility.
01:56So they will have to put things like that in place, in terms of the resources.
02:00One question was asked about the resources, because CSC would mean that a lot of resources would have to be
02:05purchased
02:06for all of the primary schools in Trinidad and Debego.
02:09Now, I want to put in a plug here, I was brought up by my first VP yesterday.
02:13If you have money to pay us our back pay and so on, where are you going to get this
02:16money to buy all these resources and so on?
02:18Tutor is calling for a proper foundation to be set up before any rollout of the CSC.
02:24It is also calling on the government to take the concerns raised by all stakeholders seriously,
02:30including the National Primary School Principals Association, which it was to have met today.
02:37You don't simply just tell us, yes, yes, yes, we'll treat with it.
02:39And then sometimes you don't at all. You just go ahead and do your own thing.
02:43Ash is expecting to hear from the feedback from the ministry following its consultations.
02:47He says, while the rollout is planned for this year, it is to be factored into the 2028 SEA exams.
02:55Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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