Grade three tests put off till next week

ADVERSE WEATHER conditions have forced the postponement of the Grade Three Diagnostic Tests.

The Ministry of Education yesterday said the tests, which were scheduled to take place over two days beginning today, will now take place on Tuesday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 15.

The decision to postpone the grade three tests has been welcomed by many schools. At the Grove Primary School, off Gordon Town Road, St Andrew, principal Suzette South said the news was well received.

"It is sort of a relief for us," South told The Gleaner.

"Hopefully, the sun will come out tomorrow (Tuesday)," she said, noting that teachers at her school were in a panic from Friday after many students stayed away because of the weather.

no last-minute prep

She said the teachers had hoped to do some last-minute preparations with the students ahead of the test. However, this has not been possible since last Friday as less than half of the school population has turned up for school because of the rains. South said only 73 of the 324 student on roll showed up for classes yesterday.

Parents kept children indoors because of land slippages and the fact that some rivers were in spate.

Grove Primary caters to children from communities in the east rural St Andrew belt such as Grove, Papine, Irish Town, Dallas, and as far away as Mavis Bank.

The new dates for the Grade Three Diagnostic Tests overlap with the sitting of the Grade Four Literacy and Numeracy Tests on June 15.

"This should not be a problem as the Grade Three Diagnostic Tests are invigilated by teachers of the host school, while the grade four tests are administered and supervised by personnel from outside of the school," the Ministry of Education said in a statement yesterday.