Dear Editor,

I am writing to share my concerns as an educator regarding the current structure of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations and to call for meaningful reform.

The PEP, which assesses students across grades four, five, and six, places undue pressure on our children while relying too heavily on a singular method of high-stakes testing.

Ministry of Education data reveals that 33 per cent of grade four students fail to achieve literacy mastery, yet these same students are later judged and placed in secondary schools based on struggles from their earlier years.

Consider a child who enters grade four below the reading level but makes significant strides in grades five and six. This child remains penalised for difficulties from two years prior. This contradicts established pedagogical principles such as Lev Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, which emphasises that assessment should measure potential with support, not merely fixed ability.

We teach our children to be resilient and never give up, yet our examination system fails to recognise their growth and improvement.

I urge the Ministry of Education to revisit its original vision for a more holistic assessment framework that includes portfolio-based evaluation. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences reminds us that students demonstrate knowledge through varied means — artistic, interpersonal, and creative — that standardised tests fail to capture.

A portfolio approach, grounded in formative assessment, would recognise student progress through projects and class tasks assembled over time. While implementation challenges, such as increased teacher workload exist, these are surmountable with proper training and resources.

Our children deserve an evaluation system that values growth and diverse intelligences — one that truly fosters development rather than merely sorting students into predetermined paths.

Ann_Pinn

Educator

St Andrew