No flexing on secondary school spots - ministry
533-508 marks were needed for top five schools
Stabroek News
July 4, 2004
The Ministry of Education says students who took the Secondary Schools Entrance Examinations (SSEE) and require one or two marks more for their desired school, cannot be considered.
Meanwhile, the ministry has released the cut-off scores for the country's top ten secondary schools and the places awarded. Queen's College, with a cut-off score of 533, will have 130 new students - 55 boys and 75 girls - come August 30, when school reopens. One hundred and twenty-two, 53 boys and 69 girls, are headed to Bishops' High, which has a cut-off score of 527. St Stanislaus College, for which students needed at least 521 marks will take 67 boys and 51 girls (118). St Rose's High will take 49 boys and 67 girls (116) who gained at least 517 marks. At St Joseph High there will be 64 boys and 82 girls (146) with at least 508 marks. At Brickdam Secondary, the 85 new students, 42 boys and 43 girls, had to gain at least 502 marks, while at Christ Church Secondary, the score was 494 for the 56 boys and 67 girls (123) to be admitted. New Amsterdam Multilateral's new students - 80 boys and 87 girls (167) - needed 488 marks and at Central High it was 486 marks for the 41 boys and 65 girls (106). One hundred and five - 44 boys and 61 girls - who attained at least 481 marks have been placed at Annandale Secondary.
The figures released by the ministry reveal that of the approximately 17,000 children who wrote the SSEE, only 1218 gained places in the top ten schools. And of these schools, only one - Annandale Secondary - has taken the exact number of students it has places for. All of the other schools were oversubscribed.
The list does not include President's College. Students from schools outside George-town are eligible for admission to the residential secondary school based on relative outstanding performances.
For other schools in Georgetown with scores over 400, the cut-off scores were: North Georgetown Secon-dary, 478; Richard Ishmael, 468; St John's College, 460; Cummings Lodge Secondary, 452; Campbellville Secon-dary, 451; Charlestown Secondary, 443; North Ruimveldt Multilateral, 434; Tutorial High, 429; St George's Secondary, 421; Freeburg Secondary, 416; St Mary's Secondary, 412; East Ruimveldt Secondary, 409 and Alleyne's High, 402. The cut-off score for South Ruimveldt Secondary is 398.
According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) Acting Assistant Chief Education Officer for Georgetown, Vibert Hart emphasised that secondary school placement is based on a student's grades and on an available school closest to their home.
Hart said that if students fell short of the school their parents would like them to attend even by one or two marks, the ministry still could not consider such requests.
He said this is because Georgetown schools are overcrowded, with a number slated for repairs where students would have to be relocated.
The ministry is asking parents to be reasonable and understand the constraints faced by the ministry.
The release said that parents of students, who attained less than 344 marks and have not been assigned schools, could visit the unit during this week. Original documents of the child's exam result slip and proof of address are required. Placement Officer, Dianah Rutherford said these parents would be asked to return between August 9 and 11.
Rutherford said to facilitate queries of secondary school placements parents could visit the placement unit between July 6 and 16.
Meanwhile, the release said that 95% of placement letters for nursery and primary schools have been distributed.
superintendent of the Placement Unit Natalie Arthur said the ministry anticipates that parents might have queries about placements.
Parents are advised when requesting a query to provide a letter of placement and the necessary additional information including proof of address.
The release also said parents should check with supervisors of Day Care Centres and Nursery Heads for their children's school placement. The ministry has allocated 11 days from July 19 through 30 for queries to be made.
Meanwhile, late registration of nursery school children would be facilitated from September 1 and transfers for nursery and primary schools from July 26 to 30.