NASSAU, BAHAMAS — An online petition calling for the cancellation of national exams had garnered more than 5,000 signatures in the less than 12 hours.
The change.org petition was launched by ‘Brianna Pintard’ shortly after an announcement by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis that delayed exams, including BJCs and BGCSEs will now be held on July 13.
Minnis made the announcement during a Ministry of Health press conference that began at 5pm yesterday.
The petition read: “Due to the Corona virus pandemic schools have been closed since March 16, 2020.
“Many students do not have the privilege to access electronic devices which resulted in not being allowed Access to virtual education platforms.”
It continued: “However, the Prime minister has still decided to continue with national exams. In the event that there is an emergency forecasted grades have been put in place to ensure that students receive a grade. Sign this petition to cancel national exams and use forecasted grades.”
As of 7am on Friday, the petition had grown to more than 5,500 signatures.
The Bahamas Union of Teachers also acknowledged concerns over the announcement of exam dates.
BUT president Belinda Wilson advised members last night that their summer break begins on June 19.
Wilson acknowledged concerns over the new date in a voice note to members, adding the union will respond after more information is given during the budget debate next week.
No I don’t think they are ready because the online class was not working out
They can’t not be cancel
The national exams should be postponed because alot of children didn’t have access to the virtual education the ministry offered online….because of this global epidemic alot of parents are not working and alot of children experienced the stress of what has been going on and the children are not ready…How in this jesus world can exams be given without no notice after this pandemic because the report of persons who were sick and now the prime minister wants to put students and teachers in a class room not knowing who may have this virus????? What’s more important the exams or the health of the students and teachers????? God forbids this virus awakens and persons get sick and die..what can the prime minister tell the families..sorry for.your losses????
Anyway what can we do if he said that’s the date on July that is final we can’t do nothing only don’t send your child to school
Exams need to be postpone not all kids had access to virtual learning.
Wow
The health of the children is above any exam. That not nice to even suggest that
I think the exam should be rescheduled for another date. It makes sense.
One size fits all never works in education.Those who are ready and want to take it should be able to take it. Those who are not ready to take it, should be given every opportunity to take it at a later date.
They can’t be canceled. We college students have also yet to finished some of our classes because of COVID 19 and we paid for them and we haven’t gotten a grade on our transcript for these classes and some classes are our majors. When we go back to school in fall, we will still have to take the exams for the classes we ain’t finish even though we signed up for new ones for the fall. Some of us also didn’t haven’t classes online that was working and some teachers took it as an opportunity to do nothing when class was still going online during COVID-19. In life, a lot of places don’t look at BGCSE and BJC results, while we college students are taking majors and classes that WILL make a impact in our life because of the jobs we are trying to achieve with these grades at the UNIVERSITY. If we college students have to do this back in fall, what makes children doing the NATIONAL EXAMS any different? Suck it up and do the exams. WELCOME TO REAL LIFE KIDS.
Also before you everyonesay, ohhh people/ children who ain’t ready to take it shouldn’t take it. Please, if you ain’t ready to go back to the university this fall and do your classes from spring because you ain’t ready or scared, sorry. DOG eat your lunch. You just don’t get the grade and the class would be for not.
Tell your kids to study stop finding excuses and the virus is not that serious it’s fake as hell more other sicknesses killed more people and these countries hike up the numbers and anything dealing with respiratory they say u died from Corona virus
Let’s face it. What other alternative is there? A date was given so deal with it. Children was out of school literally 2 and half months and everyone had to cope whether you had online access or not. Stop making excuses. Every other country is making the effort to continue education smoothly. We are no different.
I do not think the issue is taking it the issue is why did it take so long to make a decision less than a week when most schools had announced they were closing. Yes other countries in the region are taking exams but guess what they announced when from May 19th (Jamaica).
Yes, I agree that the Bjc & BGSCE exams should be postponed until a later date. Our children who has been out of school going on four months were lockdown confine in their homes with no room to breathe! Some many say they had a lot of time to study but when someone freedom to move about of their own free will they become stress out and can think clearly! Also with parents , who are also at home stress out not knowing how the rent / mortgage is going to be paid, the utilities bills and if they will be able to find food for their children and themself to eat this is not a good environment for a child to study!!
The children miss a whole school term, because of Covid 19 and now now the parents got to be preparing for hurricane this is too much right now. The national examination needs to be cancelled until further date.
Ok let’s wait until they say what is what the minister of Education to make an anoucment
u sound dumb shut up.
Your too smart to be so stupid young lady or young man whatever you are….Wether those kids, who aren’t prepared or who weren’t fortunate enough to have access to the material they needed to prepare themselves, take the exams or not has no effect on you or others like you. You guys should focus on yourselves and make sure you continue to do what you need to do to past your exams and get where you want to be in life. Try not be so insensitive and ignorant, where is your compassion, Dr. Minnis asked do you have a soul. Point being mind your own business and focus on yourself, the less fortunate are what they are… if they’re not ready they’re not ready nobody asked for a pandemic young miss young man whatever you are.
@serena242
The issues for secondary and primary students are way different than yours.
You need to go and report these professors who did nothing. Get a credit and take the class again at no extra charge.
Instead you carry on hoping to get a grade for no work. In my school days, I had a derelict professor, but the students would row until he would agree to give B to everyone.
They need to put it off tell the kid’s are ready. I’ve gat four kids in school..and they are not ready because the online classes didn’t work all the time !
thank you someone understand what us children have to do
thank you thats what my mommy tell me to do
she tell me to study god has the last say