Calm 11-Plus atmosphere at Combermere

THE atmosphere outside the gates of Combermere School was a calm one, as students assembled for the 9 a.m. start of the 2017 edition of the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE).

The students, who started to gather as early as 7 a.m., appeared to be relaxed, and so were their parents and guardians, who gave them last minute advice, hugs, kisses, and the assurance that everything would be okay, no matter the results.

Judith Brown, like hundreds of other mothers who accompanied their charges to various examination centres across the island, was seen telling her son, Joshua Brown, that all she wanted was for him to give of his best.

“I am feeling okay, and he is good as well. He is not nervous or anything so. I didn’t really stress him, because he knows what he has to do,” Brown said.

Meanwhile, Joshua, a Lawrence T Gay Memorial student, said he was “feeling okay”, noting that he wanted to do well enough to be placed at Combermere.

As Leesha Rollins, who is also a Lawrence T Gay student, stood next to her mother, Leezan Rollins, she admitted that she was feeling a little nervous about the reality of having to start life at secondary school, come September.

However, Leesha was excited about seeing what was on the Mathematics and English papers, noting that she was holding on to her teachers advice that “we will find the same things that we did in class on the paper”.

“So it will be easier for us to go through it and read it over until we understand it,” the student said.

Leezan said while her daughter did attend lessons last Saturday, she spent most of the weekend relaxing.

“I tried not to stress her out, so I believe she should be good and because of that I am good. I am leaving it in God’s hands. I told her to do her best, and whatever she does, she can be sure that it is good enough for me,” Leezan said.
Leesha is hoping to be placed at Springer Memorial or Alleyne.

Hill Top teacher, Sharant Ramsay, who was busy getting her 29 students together to give them a pep talk before they made their way through the gates, told The Barbados Advocate that she was confident her students were going to do well, especially since she knew that they have all worked exceptionally hard over the years preparing for the national examination.

“My advice to my students is to put God in front of them and he will direct their path. I told them to do the best that they can, and wherever they go, they will do well in the future,” Ramsay said.

When the examination finished around 1 p.m., many students had favourable reports for their parents, teachers, friends and peers. The general opinion coming from the students was that both papers were easy, when compared to last year’s past papers. (AH)