Education Ministry's PEP website up and running

A website to assist teachers, parents, and students in preparation for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) is now fully operational.

Persons may access the website at www.moey.gov.jm/pep.

This was disclosed by Minister of Education Senator Ruel Reid during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

“We encourage our parents, teachers, and students to visit the site and make use of the available resources,” he said.

Reid informed that the Ministry has also distributed a suite of materials to schools across the island, including practice items, registration manuals, and sample test booklets.

He said the Government is moving ahead with the scheduled implementation of PEP as the national secondary-school entrance examination.

“We already explained that the curricula had been rolled out from two years ago, and in terms of our testing point of view… I think whatever were the reviews that were required have been done and we’re going full steam ahead in that regard. We can’t in the middle of the programme now revert; that is not possible,” he said.

PEP comprises a Performance Task exam, which will be conducted in March 2019, and an Ability Test and Curriculum-Based Test, which will be administered in February 2019 and April 2019, respectively.

The education minister noted that sensitisation sessions are being held at various levels, and advised that persons who have challenges should contact the education ministry.

“The curriculum is not rocket science; it is the same content and it is essentially using a different methodology, which all teachers would have been exposed to, including principals having gone to university, or gone to teachers’ college,” he said.

PEP has replaced the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary school entrance examination.

It is intended to provide a better and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary-level education.

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