The Ministry of Education views the position taken by the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) on the marking of SBAs as highly irresponsible since the non-submission of SBA marks will result in failure for thousands of students.
These actions have the potential to negatively impact opportunities for scholarships and admission to tertiary education institutions, in addition to creating unnecessary anxiety and stress for students and parents.
Following its 38th Annual Conference of Delegates, TTUTA indicates in its Resolution #9 that “teachers shall not mark any newly introduced SBAs including Mathematics and English A by CXC with immediate effect”. However, the union failed to recognise that the latest subjects with SBA components were introduced two academic years ago, back in 2016.
The Ministry of Education recognises the value of the Schools Based Assessment (SBA) as a means to achieve quality education. Introduced in 1979 as part of the CXC assessment structure, this system provides students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their competence, allowing them to be active participants in the assessment process.
Since then, SBA has become an established practice which employs multiple forms of assessment that cater to students’ different learning styles, interests and abilities during the normal teaching and learning process in schools. It is also geared toward assisting students in acquiring certain knowledge, skills and attitudes specific to each subject.
The Ministry of Education reiterates its commitment to ensuring quality teaching for every student and providing the educational support services necessary to optimise the teaching and learning process while ensuring students’ future is not compromised.