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Secondary School In T&T

This question assumes that one attended, or had the privilege to attend secondary school in T&T because those who live there know how Common Entrance exams influence what secondary school one attends. With that being said, what secondary school did you attend? I was fortunate to pass my Common Entrance exam and earn a score high enough to attend my first choice which was Naparima College.

TampT School Secondary

Due to my parents love for moving I went to a few here and in the USA. Locally I went to Belmont Senior Secondary (Dr. Eric Williams attended here believe it or not), I went to Tranquility Secondary (now known as a 'bad John' school) and St. Joseph College (a private school run by the Catholic church at the time, but now subsidized by the government).

Secondary School In T&T Caribbean / Tobago & Trinidad

Well i also passed for my first choice, which is St. Augustine Girls' High School. Fortunately i did well enough, but i actually wanted to attend St. Joseph Convent POS, since all of my friends from primary school went there.

TampT School Secondary

All those are great schools. I'm not very keen about the Common Entrance method for choosing high-school, I think it is very unfair for those children who are smart but slow learners or have some kind of learning disability that does not need special attention. In few words, the kid who is lazy, loud and do not study ends up in the same school that one who tried but is a slow learner. I hate that.

TampT School Secondary

I agree LDS, I saw friends of mine who were smart but did not do well in exam situations suffer because of CE, and end up going to schools that were well below their level. At such a young age, it is unfair to put that much pressure on a kid that may well determine their status in life.

Secondary School In T&T

The UNC tried to change it, but still is the same, just with a different name I believe. As usual we are following an archaic Colonial system. I am more in favor of the US system which gives levels, chances and zones to students. This cuts out the pressure and puts kids in an area they can handle. So no matter what the school if a kid is an honors student, then he will learn with other kids at that level within the SAME school. Here everyone is jumbled together in huge classes - smart - dumb - all.

Secondary School T&T

I agree with you 100%. Watching the news sometime ago when the common entrance results came, some children were so happy that they were jumping of joy and the parents too and others were crying so much and I thought to myself, how awful! to put so much pressure in young children!!!!!!.

Yes, I like the US system too. Specially the emphasis on Art and Music, so children who are not academically oriented, at least they can choose between these two and learn something.

I don't think there are such thing as 'dumb' students. I think there are children who are slow learners but they are smart and others who have learning disabilities such as dyslexia, but it doesn't mean they are dumb. They're smart, they just need other kind of methods than the traditional ones.