As the curtains were pulled on the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) on Thursday, pupils were quite happy with their performance and believe that they have done extremely well, confident that they will get their preferred high school later this year.
“It was good, but I was a little bit nervous, but I had confidence and I think I [did] a great job and I hope so, so I can make my family proud and I can get a good job when I grow old enough and live a happy life,” Diffani Sharplac of Eccles Primary School related.
The sixth grader acknowledged the help she received in preparation for the exams from her mother, sister, and aunt, adding that “sometimes I pick up a book when I go home and study by myself”.
Jasmain Hardy of St Ann’s Primary School
Hoping to attend St Stanislaus College come September, Sharplac aspires to become a nurse one day.
“I love when my mom buys nurse clothes for me…and I play like my mom is sick and I’m the nurse,” Sharplac said.
Princess Akeela Pollard of Eccles Primary School has mixed emotions about the assessment, expressing that it was “quite hard” with some easy questions, but overall, she believes she did well.
“I studied at home by myself, because my mother said I have to get a good school,” Pollard said. “I’m hoping to get the Bishops’ High School, because that’s what I’ve been working for all the time and that’s what I’ve been telling my family I want.”
Ismaiel Bowen of Eccles Primary School
Pollard shared that she hopes to be a teacher. “When I was very small, I used to like to teach my little cousins and teaching makes me feel good…that I’m teaching little children and making them learn a few things,” she said.
Her schoolmate Ismaiel Bowen, who intends on attending Queen’s College, aspires to be a chef.
“When I was small, I used to enjoy [being] in the kitchen with my grandmother cooking, so I just feel my pride and joy is cooking,” Bowen said.
For Bowen, the Maths and English sections of the assessment were easier than the Science and Social Studies.
“A part of the Social Studies [exam was] something with Independence. The question was tricky, but I feel like I aced it,” he added.
For Reuben Perreira of Peters Hall Primary School, the exams were easy and he was confident that he did well in every subject. “I’m trying to get St Stanislaus College or The Bishops’ High School,” Perreira said.
“I want to be a scientist, because I want to learn about the solar system and the universe,” he added.
Perreira’s classmate Jayden Millington, however, found Math slightly challenging, but enjoyed Science, leading him to want to pursue meteorology eventually.
“I would like to aim for The Bishops’ High School, but whatever school I get, I will work with it,” Millington said.
“I would like to thank my teacher for helping me with my schoolwork when I didn’t understand something,” he added.
St Ann’s Primary School pupil Jasmain Hardy studied every day when she got home and even attended extra lessons for each subject in preparation for the assessment, with the aim of attending Queen’s College.
While Hardy found Science the most challenging, Maths was the simplest for her.
Contrarily, Faith Beckles found Maths Paper Two the most challenging, particularly the fractions. Beckles said she felt “pretty good” about finally completing the assessment that marked a close to her primary school education and hopes to attend St Rose’s High School later on in the year.
“[I want to be] a teacher, because I like teaching,” Beckles added.
This year’s NGSA saw 16,268 students across the country writing the exam at 517 centres, with the results expected to be released by July 17.
