No ‘bad crop’ performing students says PM Gonsalves

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves is calling on educators to desist from using the phrase “bad crop” to refer to students who did not perform well in exams.

He made the call on Wednesday, June 14 while speaking on NBC radio’s Face to Face programme.

He was at the time making comments about the results of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).

The results for the exams, which determines students’ placement at secondary school were released on Friday, June 9 .

The Prime Minister said he has “gone through the results nationally and I’ve gone through the results school by school.”

He expressed the view that the results were good nationally and, while some students may not have performed optimally, Gonsalves is appealing to teachers not to take a negative view of such students.

“Teachers can’t take the view that this is a bad crop.

“Anytime a school drops below their usual high standard and they tell me it’s a bad crop, I say listen, students are not like yams and potatoes and dasheen and tannia.

“Don’t tell me bout no bad crop.”

Gonsalves added that in every age group, there will be students with varying levels of learning ability.

Based on the results, the Prime Minister said he has already asked Education Minister, Curtis King, to have the Ministry of Education hold discussions with each school.

These discussions will also involve the Parent/Teachers Association (PTA) of each school, and where there are no PTA’s, the parents as individuals will be involved.

Gonsalves underscored that quality leadership at the school, quality teaching, and quality parenting all play a critical role in the education of children.

This year, 85.17% of students who sat the CPEA met the prescribed standard.

The Ministry of Education said this is a slight increase over last year when 83.87% of students met the prescribed standard .

This year, male students took the first seven spots in the CPEA.