Photo Credit: BVI Platinum News

Photo Credit: BVI Platinum News

Secondary school students did not receive their school leaving results as is customary on the last day of the school term before the extended July/August vacation. This sparked some concerns among parents and students as several students across the Territory were eagerly awaiting their results yesterday, June 15.

When contacted, Dr. Marcia Potter, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture said that the results will be made available at the latest on Monday, June 18.

She explained that the department has to ensure certain things are finalized and it must be seen by the Education Minister before it is released.

"They are not out as yet...The department is still trying to make sure that everything is finalized and it has to go to the Minister before it is released. And the Minister right now is in emergency meetings...Until the Minister sees the results it cannot be released...As soon as the Minister sees them, they will be released. It is usually done when the students are leaving school, towards the end of the day," Dr. Potter told BVI Platinum News yesterday, June 15, shortly after 1:00 pm.

She said, "...If we get it through today it will be today; if not it will be Monday...It's not really a delay...but the latest will be Monday."

BVI Platinum News understands that a number of students who did not meet the pass grade were given a supplemental examination which was taken as late as Thursday.

There have been concerns previously about the manner in which the supplemental process was managed. Noting that the exercise has proven to be unreliable and validity questionable, the report on the review of the secondary school leaving assessment has recommended that the Ministry and Department of Education discontinue supplementary assessments.

The use of the supplementary assessments has increased over the three years that the report covered

In 2009, 40 students were awarded supplementary passes and they were all from the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS). In 2010, 61 students received supplementary passes - 7 from the Bregado Flax Educational Centre (BFEC), 49 from ESHS, 2 from St. Georges Secondary School (STGSC) and 3 from the BVI Seventh Day Adventist School (BVISDA).

In 2011, the number of students receiving supplementary passes showed a stark increase from 61 in 2010 to 87 in 2011. ESHS showed the largest number with 73 students, followed by BFEC with 11 students, STGSS with 2 and BVISDA with 1.

The report had noted that in eliminating the practice of supplementary passes, the bar should be raised to encourage students to perform at their best during their senior years and not to rely on supplementary assessment.