(Trinidad Express) The Ministry of Education has again apologised to the children affected by the circumstances surrounding the award of the SEA (Secondary Entrance Assessment) President’s Medal, 2020.
“This was in no way intentional, and should not have occurred”, the ministry said in a statement today.
Quite apart from the merits of any proposed legal challenge by any of these students, it is important to recognise that both children will have regrettably and unjustifiably suffered as a result of the conflicting messages they have received, the ministry said.
“The subsequent treatment of this issue in the media will have no doubt exacerbated this hardship. In a situation where two highly performing students have both excelled academically and have been both, through no fault of their own, been promised the highest accolade of the President’s Medal, and have both declared their willingness to share this accolade, as an exception to any earlier practice, this option has been agreed to, as it would conduce to the benefit of both students.”
To substantively defend the proposed legal actions threatened by the respective parents could potentially delay any final resolution of this matter which would not be in the best interest of the two children involved, said the ministry, and going forward there will be a review of this process.
Based on the circumstances previously described, the Ministry of Education has recommended, with agreement from the President, to jointly award the President’s Medal for Primary Education (Gold) and Primary Education (Silver) to the top performing students at the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) 2020:
· Ameerah Beekhoo San Fernando TML (Gold)
· Aaron Subero Maria Regina Grade School (Gold)
· Anjanaa Dan Trinidad Renaissance School (Silver)
· Mercedes David St. Gabriel’s Girls RC (Silver)
