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Minister Karl Samuda, Opposition Spokesman on Education Ronald Thwaites, as well as reactions from students and parents about PEP results
An average 40 per cent of students who sat the first Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations did not achieve the required competency.
The results were released on Friday.
More than 42,000 students were registered to sit the exams.
The students were tested in Mathematics, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies.
The results were particularly poor for Mathematics and Science where more than 50 per cent of the students did not achieve proficiency.
Fifty-five per cent of students demonstrated proficiency or advanced proficiency in Language Arts and 36 per cent were at the developing level.
Karl Samuda, Minister without portfolio with responsibility for Education, said 49 per cent of students who sat Science demonstrated proficiency or advanced proficiency in knowledge skills and competences required, while for Social Studies, 63 per cent of the students demonstrated proficiency or advanced proficiency.
Mr. Samuda, who announced the scores on Friday at a media briefing at the Ministry of Education, said 94 per cent of students were placed in schools of their choice.
More than 17,000 students got between their first choice and their third choice, with 7,854 students placed in their first choice school, another 5,493 placed in their second choice and 4,502 students receiving their third choice.
'Crisis in education'
Oppostion Spokesman on Education Ronald Thwaites has said the PEP scores are disappointing.
He said the 60 per cent deficit in Mathematics, 45 per cent deficit in English, 61 per cent deficit in Science and 37 per cent deficit in Social Studies represent a "crisis in education".
"It's been germinating for a long time but it requires a complete rethinking of the primary school experience and it also requires some immediate remediation to ensure that the high school places are not extended in vain for those students who will be, at this point, entering with very little capacity to absorb what should be offered there," he asserted.
Reactions to PEP results
The release of the PEP results was met with despair and jubilation among students, parents and teachers.
RJR News visited some schools in the Corporate Area to get their reactions.
At Wolmer's Preparatory School, there was much anticipation as the countdown for the release of the PEP results drew closer and hopeful parents converged on the institution.
At Allman Town Primary School, the atmosphere was similar. However, anxious parents complained about the long wait for the results.
When the results finally came, that led to a mixture of emotions.
Kevin Williams, who passed for St. George's College, could only muster one word to describe how he felt: 'good'.
His mother, Deandra German, told RJR News she was proud of her son. She thanked his teachers for working with him throughout the year of preparation.
But RJR News also observed a parent at Allman Town Primary who was unhappy with the PEP results, complaining aloud about the format of the exam.
She declined to speak with our news team.
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