Students who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) this year and are not assigned to the institutions of their choice, will be manually placed at schools near their homes.
This is according to the Ministry of Education, which has been facing some backlash for its announcement last week that students entering secondary schools are to be placed in institutions close to where they live.
In a release on Monday, the Ministry said the majority of students who sat the GSAT would be placed in high schools of their choice based on their grade performance. But it remains committed to increasing the transfer of GSAT students due to distance.
Education Minister, Ronald Thwaites said the Ministry will also be facilitating requests for transfers where students have been assigned far from their homes.
Meanwhile, efforts will continue to be made to enhance the quality of those high schools that traditionally have not been institutions of choice.
The Ministry said it will be improving infrastructure, expanding curriculum offerings, ensuring better-trained principals and teachers, as well as catering to the welfare to students. The GSAT results are scheduled to be released next week.
Thwaites has also acknowledged that no Ministry Paper was put forward with regard to changes in the placement of students.
Opposition Spokesperson on Education, Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith has called for clarification on the announced changes pointing out that there was no Ministry Paper before Parliament or official communication to schools or parents about the change of approach.
He said there will be a Ministry Paper in due course.
Executive Director of the National Parenting Support Commission Dr Patrice Charles-Freeman says there is need for further discussion on the GSAT placement as parents may have concerns. However, she says there will be benefits including reduced transportation costs as well as easier access for children to and from school.
Charles-Freeman said it would also discourage negative behaviour by students.
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