KINGSTON, Jamaica — Day one of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), which saw students writing scripts for mathematics and social studies, was not as smooth as a few students, teachers and administrative staff imagined it would have been.

In one instance, a student from St Aloysius Primary was hit by a car and taken to the Kingston Public Hospital, a release from the education ministry revealed.

Her parents said given that her condition was not considered serious, they wanted her to do the exams. She was examined and released after receiving pain medication.  She was also given additional time to do the examination.

Another student, however, was not as fortunate. He had to defer his sitting of the exam until next year because of an asthma attack.

The release added that his parents were still at the school at the time of his illness and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The GSAT nightmare for others continued with two of the 1,109 centres reporting incidents of chicken pox and measles.

The ministry said the affected students were isolated from the groups and placed in separate rooms where invigilators were sent to monitor them.

Most centres, according to the ministry, were opened on time but heavy rain resulted in a delayed start at some especially in Trelawny and St Ann.

The ministry’s officers are closely monitoring flood prone areas and putting contingencies in place in the event exam centres have to be changed because of heavy rains, the release said.

A few centres also reported a shortage of scripts where more students turned up than were initially registered.  Extra papers were obtained from the student assessment unit and made available where needed.

Among the schools that needed additional scripts were: Norman Gardens Primary and Junior High, Seaward Primary and Junior High, Seaview Primary,  Suthermere Preparatory, Holy Family Primary & Infant, Alpha Primary, John Mills Primary and Junior High, St Francis, Allman Town Primary, Excelsior Pre & Prep, Swallowfield Primary and Junior High and Melrose Primary and Junior High schools.

Despite the challenges outlined above, the ministry said reports from across the island indicate that most of the centres were opened on time and students were able sit  today’s mathematics and social studies papers without any problems.

Tomorrow, March 17, Students will do Language Arts, Communication Task and Science.