BUT not supporting changes to Common Entrance

The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) says it cannot support proposed changes to the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination, since there has been no recent dialogue with the Ministry.

This was the response from president Rudy Lovell to the Ministerial Statement delivered by Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Lovell said the union was “deeply concerned by the absence of recent dialogue” regarding the roll-out.

“Our last formal engagement with the [ministry] on the matter of education reform took place approximately two years ago, with discussions at that time focused primarily on the concept of ‘schools of excellence’. Since then, there has been no structured consultation, no opportunity for input from the BUT, and no transparent exchange of information on the significant policy shift now being proposed,” Lovell said.

“Given this lack of meaningful engagement and the absence of the necessary collaborative process that should precede such far-reaching changes, the BUT cannot, in good conscience, endorse or lend its approval to the proposed adjustments.

“We believe that any reform of this magnitude must be developed through open dialogue, evidencebased

planning and the genuine involvement of all key stakeholders, including the educators who will be directly responsible for its implementation.”

Blackman said there was widespread consultations with stakeholders in 2023, from which emerged “strong consensus” on the need for transformation of the basic education system.

The minister said there were several concerns raised, including the transition from primary to secondary, the proposed colleges of excellence, and the structure and redesign of the secondary school system.

“We took those concerns seriously and examined them in detail. The Ministry of Educational Transformation has since held additional meetings with stakeholders, including with our teacher’ unions. Consequently, we have further refined perspectives on the primary to secondary transitional model and structural reforms of the secondary system.” (SAT)