PRESIDENT Christine Kangaloo said children sitting the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination on April 10 should trust in their preparation and know they are ready. She said they should believe in themselves.
In a statement on April 9, Kangaloo reminded students it was natural to feel nervous.
“Try to not let these nerves overwhelm you. Believe in yourselves, as your parents, teachers, and I believe in you. We all know that you will put your best foot forward tomorrow and give your very best – that is all that we ask.
“I know you have all worked extremely hard to get to this point – burning the midnight oil, reviewing your practice materials and making difficult sacrifices. I know your parents, teachers, and indeed, the entire country, are proud of you and of the hard work you have put in to prepare for the examination. You have stayed focused, you have demonstrated great maturity and determination, and for that, I am very proud of all of you.”
Education Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, in a video message, said students should stay focused and do their best as they take the exam.
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“You are preparing to take a a very important step. SEA is a milestone. However, it is not the most important milestone in your life. Many more will come. We want you to remember that although SEA is very important, it is not the end of your educational journey. It’s just the start. This does not define your worth, your potential, and it does not define what you become for the rest of your life.”
She congratulated the students on reaching this point, and thanked their parents, teachers, principals for working with them.
“So take a deep breath, take this step, stay focused and do your best. That is all we can ask of you, and when this exam is over, the rest of your life begins.”
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar expressed support for the students sitting the examination in a statement on April 9.
“I recall that 25 years ago, during my tenure as minister of education in the 1995-2000 UNC administration, I pioneered universal secondary education in TT 2000, which led to the introduction of the SEA exams. Today, I praise these amazing students who have spent the past year studying for this exam, demonstrating sacrifice, commitment, diligence, and discipline far beyond their years.
“I congratulate you on reaching this far, and I am very proud of every one of you. I know you will all do your absolute best in the exams, which will always be more than enough.”
She thanked the teachers and parents of the SEA class 2025 for their commitment, dedication, hard work, and love for “our precious children.
“I urge all parents to remember that whatever secondary school your child is placed in, they will continue to excel once you give them the continued support and love they need in their crucial teenage years.”
Persad-Bissessar said she hoped the Education Ministry and all other relevant authorities have ensured that all systems are in place for the successful administration of these exams, which take place in TT’s primary schools.
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She called on the ministry to enlist the Police Service to enforce a noise-free zone around the SEA centres to ensure that the students are afforded the right to sit their exams in relative peace.
“Given the unprecedented crime and violence wave that has engulfed TT in the past decade, many students in schools in crime hot spots have been forced to endure trauma as gang warfare and rampant criminality persist outside their school doors in broad daylight.”
She appealed to the ministries of education and national security and the police to ensure that all primary schools in the crime hot spot areas are also given special security for this year’s SEA exams.
“This includes police patrols and even police guards if deemed necessary. Students in these areas deserve to write these crucial exams in mental and physical comfort and safety as much as their counterparts throughout the country to have an equal chance of progressing in their academic pursuits.”
Persad-Bissessar said she had instructed all UNC candidates to pause any general campaigning activities that may have been scheduled to take place in the vicinities of the SEA centres throughout the country for the entire exam duration.
On April 8, the PNM said all campaign activities that might cause disruption to students preparing for the exam would be paused from 6 am to 3 pm on April 10. Instructions were given to all campaign teams that no music trucks are to be used from 6 pm on April 9 until 3 pm on April 10, as the children in the various communities prepare in their homes or other community spaces for the exam, and then undertake the exam on April 10.
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has activated special hotline numbers, specifically for all SEA exam centres, to ensure that there is an adequate water supply on April 10.
North Trinidad: 496-6738; south/central Trinidad: 463-8360; and for Tobago: 465-2949.
WASA said if an exam centre does not have an adequate water supply, principals or school supervisors are asked to call the relevant special hotline between April 8-9 2025 in order to secure a water supply.
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The TT Electricity Commission (TTEC) said it would activate an additional hotline to ensure that efficient electricity service was maintained at all SEA centres on April 10.
It said beginning on April 9 until 3 pm on April 10, principals and school supervisors can call the TTEC hotline at 794-4823 or 794-7264 to report any disruption in their electricity service or any electrical safety concerns. It said the standard Trouble Report numbers, 800-BULB (2852) and 800-TTEC (8832), remain available 24/7.
TTEC said there were no planned interruptions scheduled for examination day.
