Skeffery blasts Reid over handling of PEP mock exam

Livern Barrett, Parliamentary Reporter

Opposition Senator Wentworth Skeffery says the perceived confusion and chaos over the results of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) mock exam are an indication that the Government is "suffering from an implementation deficit".

Skeffery says that Minister of Education Ruel Reid owes the nation a public apology.

“And he should then, after giving it, offer his resignation to the ... prime minister,” said Skeffery, who was making his contribution to the State of the Nation debate in the Senate today.

He said that the way in which the results were first presented by Reid is perceived by many as an attempt to "deceive the students, parents, teachers and the general public".

“Why didn’t the minister present the results separately based on three distinct categories, that is, mastery, near mastery, and non-mastery, so as to remove any doubt as to his intention?” Skeffery questioned.

“How can you merge near mastery with mastery and then call it satisfactory?” he continued.

He was interrupted several times by Reid, a government senator, who accused him of  misleading the nation and the Upper House.

“He is misleading the nation because all former ministers, in giving the results, do not break out those categories. Minister Thwaites don’t break out the categories. Don’t come here,” he said during one of the interruptions.

“I, in my presentation, gave the categories nearly met and having met the standards. That was the report I gave. I have no obligation to give any broader report. The individual reports were given to schools and students,” he added.

But Skeffery would not relent, telling Reid that that approach “makes no logical sense” in communicating the results of the mock exam to parents.

“It is like a teacher telling his students that they almost passed the maths end-of-term exam and everything is good. Madness, Mr President,” the opposition lawmaker said.

He charged that the problems being encountered with PEP stem from a lack of prior and comprehensive preparation by the Government.

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169, or email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.