‘Who signed up those Science students?’

Who signed up Science students who were not recommended by their lecturers for this year’s A’level exams? This is what Chemistry lecturer at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, Grantley Adams, would like to know.{{more}}

Adams told SEARCHLIGHT that this year, he only recommended 24 students for the exam, yet 25 wrote the exam. He said he has been unable to find out who signed up that extra student, who is one of those that got a grade U. Additionally, Adams said, some of the 24 were only recommended to write the exam at subsidiary (AS) level, but were signed up for Advanced level. Adams said at least one other science lecturer is also questioning who signed up students who were not recommended.

While he is not happy with the results this year, Adams is adamant that he is not responsible for the poor showing. He explained that he only taught this year’s students in the second year of the two-year programme. He said that when he took up the post in September 2006, the students had completed less than one quarter of the syllabus. He said he knew then that it would have been impossible for him to complete the syllabus in the final year. He said he, however, managed to complete more than three-quarters of the syllabus, and gave hand-outs on the remaining topics that had not been covered.

On the question of students being inadequately prepared for the planning and design aspect of the practical paper, Adams refutes this. “Planning and design is nothing new to the students. It was part of the CSEC paper … two planning and design labs, if dealt with properly, are enough to prepare the students,” he asserted.

The enforcement of the minimum requirements for the A’level Science programme is also of concern to Adams, who disclosed that he is a certified trained teacher. He is of the view that if the College restricts entry to students who have CSEC grades I and II, the outcomes would be much better.

Adams’s response comes in the wake of questions being asked as to the reasons why Science students performed so poorly in this year’s A’level exams. The matter has so troubled the government that Minister of Education Girlyn Miguel announced on Tuesday that from this year, Exhibitions will be offered to the best performers in Science, where they fail to qualify for National Scholarships, as a way of maintaining students interest in Science.

Adams, who has a background in Biotechnology, also told SEARCHLIGHT that another reason for the poor performance was the students’ attitudes to their work. He said many view the College as a social club, and are not applying themselves as they should.

He is, however, optimistic about the results of the 2008 graduating class. He said of the 45 who were accepted into the Chemistry programme last year, only 22 will be continuing the programme in Upper six, and those students have already completed 65% of the syllabus.

A Jamaican by birth, Adams has been teaching in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the past two years. Before taking up his post at the Community College, he taught at the St. Joseph’s Convent Marriaqua. Adams said that he taught in the United Kingdom and Jamaica before migrating to St. Vincent.