Principal Marshall queries difficulty of 11-plus maths paper

The Mathematics paper for this year’s Common Entrance Examination was just too difficult for the average student to comprehend.

This was the assertion of Tyrone Marshall, the Principal of Gordon Walters Primary School, spoken as he delivered the Principal’s Report at their Graduation Ceremony at the Christ Church Parish Church Centre recently.

 

He said that their students continue to do well in the English paper, but have difficulty in the Mathematics section and this it was not something that was unique to his school alone, as more than half of the students in the island had experienced issues with the paper.

 

“Our school continues to do well on the English paper with 70 per cent of the students scoring more than 70 per cent. However, Mathematics continues to be the subject of choice for difficulty. Our 

students like more than half the students in Barbados, faced challenges. The national mean for Mathematics is 46 per cent; we have fallen under this mean.”

 

The Principal stated that he realised just how difficult that Mathematics paper was when he took a look at it.

 

“My contention is, especially for this year, that the Maths paper was much too difficult for the average child to complete comfortably in the time allotted. When I saw it, with all my years of 

experience of teaching Class Fours since 1991, I knew that the children of Barbados had been hit below the belt.”

 

He said that a question every person needs to ask themselves, is why more than 50 per cent of the 3 000 students who wrote the 11 Plus this year did not attain a passing grade in the paper.

“It is said that confession is good for the soul but bad for the reputation, but I confess that this hurts more than you know, so much more than it shows. My think tank must and will continue to seek to overcome this hurdle. Allow me to camp "her" for a while and ask the question, Why? Why is it that of the over 3 000 students who wrote this exam, more than a half of them failed this paper? I want you to do the Maths.”

 

Marshall said that having children placed in an environment that they are not familiar with, supervised by persons that they do not know is intimidating enough without the added 

pressure of them failing.

 

“The notion of Common Entrance for 11-year-olds is daunting enough. Where they are placed in unfamiliar places and supervised by unfamiliar faces – then to have to do test papers that many adults would find grave difficulty in passing – cannot be right.”