WHY STUDENTS UNPLACED
By TEDDY KAFO
LACK of space to slot in students performing below average has been one of the factors which resulted in some students unplaced in this year’s result.
That’s according to Minister of Education John Dean Kuku.
He said space in higher secondary forms has been one of the factors for student placement.
“Only grade 6 students have more space to fit in since there are more schools of this level,” Mr Kuku said.
“As you go higher to form 4, 6, and 7, the number of schools lessens and proves a setback for space,” he added.
National Examination Assessment Division (NEAD) Director John Liliu also adds that the overall low transition rate between Year 11 and 12 reveals lack of space in the existing Year 12 classes in the senior secondary schools.
Data analysis from this year’s result shows all the 12,325 grade 6 pupils who sat the Solomon Islands Secondary Entrance Examination (SISE) have a placement in form 1 level.
A statement from education ministry said no grade 6 students were unplaced this year.
But for the upper level forms like form 3, 1,672 student were unplaced out of the 8,275 students who sat the exam across the country.
For form five, 3,352 students were unplaced out of the 5, 555 students who sat for the Solomon Islands School Certificates (SISC).
This trend has been described as the ‘bottle neck system’ as you reach upper secondary level, there is lack of space.
There is a need to build more upper secondary level in schools for catchment areas meeting the increasing population, it was highlighted.
