Jhada Charles, serving as the Minister for Sport and Community Development and member for Tobago West, earned the title of “Most Outstanding Debater” for her significant contribution to the motion of Rethinking the SEA Assessment Examination. She was also one of the representatives from Tobago Updates. In response to arguments from the opposition claiming that the exam places pressure and causes mental health issues for students, she humorously suggested that the motion should have been read as “Whereas the arguments presented by the opposition are detrimental to my mental health.”
Furthermore, Luke James-Trim assumed the role of the Attorney General, Minister of Legal Affairs, and Member for San Fernando West. He received an Honourable Mention for his contribution. James-Trim titled his presentation “Wah sweet in goat mouth,” emphasizing that abolishing the SEA exam would be the most backward thing the country could do.
Expanding on his argument, one of the members had previously suggested that continuous assessment should be used instead, to which he responded that this approach would deprive the nation’s children of fairness and equity.
On the opposition’s side, Avril Rivers, Member for Oropouche East, argued that the SEA exam has become an example of inequality and discrimination.The debate continued between the government and the opposition, with other members providing their contributions on whether the SEA examination should be reconsidered or not.
Tobago Updates Television News