Teachers, students ready for benchmarks

I refer to the letter Parents’ Concern Over Benchmark Exams (April 13). While we empathise with the writers’ concerns, we would like to set parents’ minds at rest with respect to the preparation of teachers and students for the benchmarks.

The benchmark is based on the current state school syllabi, by agreement among the state, Church and independent school sectors. The content is therefore not new – if anything in some areas, such as the types of writing that may be assessed, it has been curtailed for the 2011 benchmarks to address parents’ and teachers’ concerns.

Its innovative elements are based on the good practice already present in our schools. In the Maltese and English benchmarks attention is being given to oracy, listening, reading comprehension and writing. Time is being allowed for the planning of writing, which all good writers do and which was previously not given enough importance. Grammar is given the rightful place it should have in primary education, that is as a tool for comprehension and communication.

In the Mathematics benchmark, time is being allocated for the kind of basic mental maths we all do in everyday life, such as when we calculate the cost of an object or how many days there are in two weeks. This aspect has been in the syllabus and our classrooms throughout the primary years for quite some time now, and is used continuously by good teachers as an integral part of teaching, without perhaps being called “mental maths”.

The benchmarks will give a more realistic picture of what our students really know in terms of what they need to be able to be successful lifelong learners and active citizens. Crucially, the Year 6 teachers have been directly involved in the formulation of many aspects of the benchmark exams.

Additionally, over the last two years all Year 6 teachers have received intensive training in the oracy component of the benchmarks which is the innovative component. All schools could request support in the developments of writing skills, and many did.

In the last few weeks a follow-up exercise was undertaken with all Year 6 teachers to address any lingering issues with respect to the written component of the benchmark. Indeed, this was one of the alternatives mentioned by parents in the meeting referred to the letter, and was selected so as to ensure the greatest dissemination to all students.

The updated guidelines which have taken into consideration comments received from teachers, parents and students are now in the public domain. They were sent to schools and are also being shared with parents and students.