Holness

Placement of students who sat the Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT) has been delayed as a result of limited space in schools to accommodate the vast increase in the number of persons who sat the examination this year.

The results, which should have been made available at the end of July, are now scheduled to be released by next Monday.

Since 2004, approximately 10,000 students have sat the exam each year. However, this year the figure increased by 1,500 students.

Education Minister Andrew Holness said the increase did not result from more new students entering the junior secondary or all-age system, but instead from the fact that a significant number of students were repeating the grade-nine test.

"Many of these students did so poorly that they cannot be placed in a second-cycle high school, so we had to ask them to stay back in the junior high or all-age schools where we had them in special programmes called the special empowerment programme," Holness told journalists during a press conference at the ministry's Kingston offices yesterday.

A second-cycle high school goes up to fifth form.

Holness said the current system was an improvement as, previously, grade nine was the terminal point for students who ended up in junior high or all-age institutions.

In 2004 and 2005, the ministry only placed 62 to 64 per cent of students who sat the exam in a secondary school.

"This year, the difficulty exists because for the previous three years, the students who did not perform to the point where we could place them in high school, we ask them to repeat," he said.

In 2007, the ministry placed 5,000 students in full high schools; 2,800 in technical schools and 312 in agricultural schools.

He said the problem would continue for the next three years as the only solution is for more schools to become operational.

"The programme is in place to find funding to build the schools which is critical, given the financial constraints of the nation, but it's a sacrifice that the nation must make," Holness added.

For the time being, the ministry has partnered with private entities to find placement for the students who are not qualified for a second-cycle school, a technical school or an agricultural school.

nadisha.hunter@gleanerjm.com