KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid says one of the ministry’s goals this academic year is to prepare school administrators, parents and students for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination, which will be introduced in the 2018/19 school year.

The PEP will replace the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), which will have its last sitting this academic year.

PEP is the Government’s new primary-school-leaving assessment programme. It will be closely aligned to the National Standards Curriculum (NSC), and aims to create an assessment tracker.

The programme will cover the last three years at the primary school level and will have a continuous assessment component between grades four and six.

Speaking today at the opening of a new sanitation facility at Mona Heights Primary School in St Andrew, Reid said the ministry will continue to inform administrators of primary schools, parents and students about the new developments with PEP.

“We are looking forward to the final sitting of the GSAT and the smooth transition to high school, and also a smooth transition to the Primary Exit Profile in 2019,” the minister said.

“That itself is one of the goals we have for this year – to sensitise the public in the transition to PEP,” he added.

In addition to the introduction of PEP, there will continue to be a rollout of the NSC in primary and preparatory schools, which should adequately prepare students to sit the examination in 2019.

Students sitting PEP will start their assessment from grade four, as they will be doing assignments that will contribute to the overall grade that they will be receiving at the end of grade six. Students will also be assessed in grade five.