THE 2014 Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination started today with a mixture of anticipation, excitement and slight annoyance.
The annoyance mostly stemmed from parents and grandparents unable to accompany their wards past the gates of the schools. While most of the people interviewed were okay with the move, as they agreed the children needed to keep calm, some of them thought the measures could be more relaxed.
Natalie Scott, who was waiting across the road from Queen’s College, said keeping the parents from walking their children to their classes actually had the opposite effect of what was intended.
“Honestly the children were nervous we couldn’t escort them. I don’t like it and I would prefer if we could have carried them in. Plus, some parents who wanted to stay had to leave because they didn’t like the idea of not being able to wait inside, but I don’t want my daughter to come out and not see me, so I am staying,” she said.
Another woman, who wished anonymity, said her concern centred on providing lunch for the children who did not have food to take inside and a lack of bathroom facilities for the waiting parents.
Despite this, the mood around the schools was generally upbeat as proud parents felt confident their young ones were going to do well. (CA)