Gray’s Crescent Primary School student Emmanuel Abigail Chiddick is named top performer in the 2016 Grade Six National Assessment.

She surpassed 1,304 students to claim the number one spot, amassing 378 marks out of 400. Chiddick along with 99 other students who will make up the top 100 list will be given the opportunity to select the secondary schools they wish to attend for the next five years.
In second place is Pia F. Nichols of Baptist Academy with 372 marks, while Jonathan Mansoor of St. Nicholas Primary took the number three spot with 365 marks.
Among the public primary schools on the island, Potters Primary Jordina K. Morson is listed as the top performer with 351 marks. She is ranked 14th among the top 100. Twenty one other public school students make up the top 100 list.
Acting Assistant Director of Education in charge of Measurement and Evaluation, Ineta Francis, has offered congratulations to Emmanuel Chiddick and all the students who wrote the examination. As in previous years, Francis explained that students’ performances are categorized in levels. Level one being from 260-400 marks, level two 180-259, level three 102-179 and level four 0-101.
Statistics from the June 1st and 2nd assessment reveal that 2015 proved slightly better in the level one category. 393 or 30 percent of the students were listed in level one, while in 2015, 518 were recorded. However, there was an increase in level two this year, 661 students representing 51 percent, compared to 588 in 2015. 241 students were listed in level three, representing 18 percent and 10 students in level four, representing one percent.
Francis stated that though she is satisfied with the outcome of the 2016 Grade Six National Assessment there is always room for improvement. She applauded the efforts of all the students who she noted are making an effort to perform to the best of their abilities. The two subject areas with low performances are Language Arts, 47 percent (50 in 2015) and Mathematics, 57 percent (79 in 2015). Social Studies and Science are 86 and 77 percent respectively and represent students who achieved 50 percent and above.
The Acting Assistant Director of Education for Measurement and Evaluation says moving pass the current level of Mathematics and Language Arts is proving challenging to students.
“For the Mathematics, from the feedback we have received it would appear that the major challenge was with the questions where they (students) had to do higher level thinking. I think the focus in our schools may need to start shifting somewhat to more of that. I do not think there are doing enough of that type of practice in the classroom to bring out their problem solving abilities,” she pointed out.
For Language Arts, it was noted that the difficulties are encountered in paper one.
“Most children tend to do quite well on the paper two. Where they go down is with the writing. The paper one that includes composition and letter writing where they have to apply grammar that is where the major problem is. Written expression is their major issue,” Ms. Francis concluded.
The 2016 results were distributed on Friday morning to school principals following a meeting held at the National Public Library.