Every year around this time, people take a closer look at the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA). The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) introduced it in some countries as early as 2012 to replace the old Common Entrance exam. The goal was to better assess students before they move on to secondary school. In Saint Lucia, this change took full effect in May 2022, ending one system and starting a new one.
Traditional primary exit exams only looked at final results. The CPEA includes ongoing assessments to help students learn as they go. It was designed to reduce the stress of a single big test and to get students and parents more involved. However, many people say it has not worked out as planned.
Every year, people on social media and in public talks say that the CPEA may have gone too far and brought new problems. Many students are said to feel burnt out by the time they start Form One.
Teachers also say that many students are less ready for secondary school work than before. Some students lack the basic reading, writing, and math skills they need.
To learn more about the issue, St. Lucia Times spoke with different people involved. One primary school teacher, who asked not to be named, said the workload felt “similar to my master’s degree”.
“Five essays, a book report, one project, eight teacher-made tests, four student-made tests, all of which need to be completed in Grade 6, is too much.”
Parent Claudine Louison, whose child is now in Form 2, said that even though the assessment is strict, it does not really help students move smoothly from primary to secondary school. She added that even students who do well, often because of intensive drilling in primary school, still face problems when they reach secondary school.
“It is very stressful, and honestly, I don’t believe it is fair to the students and teachers, because, basically, you are being graded off a sample of work from other students and the multiple choice exams,” she said.
“You can’t really tell whether the students have really understood what was taught. When they get the nice grades and go to secondary school, it shows that the basic concepts weren’t understood, making it more difficult for the secondary school teachers, because these children are not ready for secondary school.”
These worries are not just in Saint Lucia. Teachers in other countries feel the same way. One teacher in Grenada said the CPEA does not help students grow, especially because of its focus on multiple-choice questions.
“I believe that CPEA is crippling our students and is not allowing them the opportunity to think critically. It also hinders their literacy abilities to write and express,” she said. “Yes, the internal component is there, but they get feedback from peers and teachers. With Common Entrance, it truly tests their ability.”
“I believe learning loss is the issue. After the exam, both teachers and students should engage in schoolwork, not as heavy as before, [which] keeps the students engaged. Teaching students only to pass an exam is another issue all by itself. I refuse to do that. Secondary school also comes with maturity and students’ ability to be disciplined.” At a pre-cabinet press briefing on Monday, May 18, Minister for Education Kenson Casimir acknowledged that while the examination structure must be constantly reviewed and adjusted to best suit students, the move away from a single exam determining aptitude was progressive and aligned with the realities of the working world.
“I can tell you that I am not one who gravitates towards just examinations. I believe we need, from that age, to be dealing with children as developing professionals, and education should always be life-forming in terms of transitioning children through the phases in terms of their adopting life skills that can be sustained through their employment, that could be sustained in terms of them being individuals in our society that is progressive and providing that level of economic activity for the wider nation.”
