Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago – A contentious debate over the future of the SEA (Secondary Entrance Assessment) exam recently unfolded, with the Minister of Education and Member for St. Ann’s East, Sianne D’Abreau, strongly rejecting the Opposition Leader Shaienne St. Hilaire’s call for its abolition. St. Hilaire had argued the exam places unnecessary stress on students.
Minister D’Abreau emphasized the danger of basing policy decisions on “emotions and unproven allegations,” asserting that statistics show no national outcry for the SEA exam’s removal.
Contesting the Minister’s stance was Tobago Updates’ own Kayleigh Lewis, Member for Caroni East. Lewis critically stated that the Minister was delivering “worthless stories” to “pacify the matter,” firmly advocating that the “SEA exam needs to be abolished and replaced by a system of continuous assessment as it is detrimental to the mental health and emotional well-being of our students.”
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister for Gender and Child Affairs, and Member for Tobago East, Dinesha Manning, chastised the opposition. She pointed out a perceived misunderstanding of the motion’s specifics, noting that it primarily claims government neglect of reports and a lack of seamless transition from primary to secondary school, rather than a direct focus on abolition.
Adding to the opposition’s arguments, Anya Nero, Member for St. Augustine, contended that the SEA examination is an unjust measure for students facing learning challenges. She provided an example to illustrate her point, emphasizing the principle that “equality does not equal equity” in educational assessment.
The intense discussion highlights the ongoing national conversation about education reform and the significant divisions over the SEA exam’s role in Trinidad and Tobago’s schooling system.
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