Congratulations and A Brief Word on Transfers

Photo by olia danilevich on Pexels.com

Author’s edit: It has been reported that transfers will be considered this year, a variance from the usual stipulation of waiting an academic year.

Congratulations to the students who received their results for the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination today. Well done! You worked hard and no matter the result or school, we are all proud of you. Preparing for and taking such an important exam during a pandemic is no small feat. You are a warrior and you remain undefeated!

I know that with this time there is not only celebration, but also some frustration, especially when it seems as if the grades and the allocated schools do not seem to match. Do not forget, the cut-off marks for schools change every year and depend on the overall performance of students. Each school has a specific number of spaces to fill. Trying to break it down to its simplest calculations (The Ministry’s system is a bit more sophisticated), if School X has 100 spaces in 2032, and the 100^th student who has that school as the first choice gets an average of 85%, then the student who gets 84% is allocated to their second choice. If that same school has 100 spaces in 2033 and the 100^th student who has that school as the first choice gets an average of 91%, then the student who gets 90% is allocated to the second choice. So there really is no predictable marker for “HC marks” or “Foundation marks.” This is not something that can be forecast or determined by history.

For parents who are still not satisfied with my explanation above, pounding down the doors of the Ministry of Education today or tomorrow will not give you the solution that you desire. The Ministry of Education has clearly documented annually that transfers will only be considered after a student has spent one academic year at their allocated school.

I understand the disappointment, but celebrate the achievement. Your child has been through the storm of the pandemic exam and came out unscathed on the other side. A new school brings with it new opportunities for excellence and adventure, so even though you are frustrated, don’t let them see it. Let them face their future with positivity, and maybe feeling their joy may help you face the future with positivity as well.

Congrats again to all of you.

Best wishes,

Bajan Mom

Secondary School Placement & Transfers

OK. So I awake this morning to questions about transfers.

As far as I recall, transfers are not allowed in the first year after the examination. Reallocation is only considered on humanitarian grounds, such as if a student lives in St. Lucy, passes for St. Leonard’s Boys’ School in St. Michael but suffers from motion sickness, then an exemption can be made.

While this rule may frustrate some parents, I want to share with you the advice that I gave my child before sitting the examination. “I know you worked hard, so wherever you go, I will be satisfied. If it is not a school you wanted, there is no need to worry. Just forget any distractions, buckle down and continue to work hard, and the world is your oyster. You can do anything, be anything.”

Yes, there are rankings, but if a child goes to any school and has a good work ethic, he or she will be successful. I went to University with students whose alma maters were the full spectrum of secondary schools. Some had gone to secondary schools at which Barbadian society may turn up its nose, but they excelled there, went on to 6th form schools or Barbados Community College, then University and are quite successful in life, in some cases, more successful than those who had gone on to more prestigious schools when they were 11.

Not only do children develop at different rates, but going to the school one does not want can actually make one work harder for what one wants. There is no need to be discouraged. The Common Entrance is not the end, in fact, it is just the beginning. The work truly starts now.

Of course, if you consider all I said before to be hogwash, you can always apply for a transfer next year.