Dear Editor: I was disappointed to pass for Success Laventille; why we must broaden view on education


“On results day, they handed me this slip and I discovered I did not pass for my first choice or second choice. I passed for Success Laventille Composite School.

“I felt disappointed in my results and I even felt disappointed about other people getting what I thought was better results.”

In the following Letter to the Editor, Natasha M Davis, Unit Trust Corporation Marketing Operations vice-president, remembers her SEA/Common Entrance story and urges parents and students to broaden their vision on education:

Photo: Students at the Sangre Grande Hindu School focus on their Trinidad Guardian SEA practice test.
(Courtesy bpartofit)

Sometimes, when you are growing up, you can only dream as far as you could see. In my community, the top was a police officer—or running a parlor, which for a long time was what I thought I wanted to do.


I lived at Desperlie Crescent, Laventille Road, East Dry River and went to Eastern Girls’ Government School, on the corner of George and Duke Street. Common Entrance year, we were all preparing for the big exam. While we were hopeful, our school did not have a history of a large number of students passing for prestige schools.

I was a great student—I would either be in 1st or 2nd place in my class. My parents didn’t really put any unnecessary pressure on me. It was not like you have to pass for any particular school. They always just wanted me to do my best. So I had some anxiety but after we did the practice test, I felt really calm stepping into the exam.

On results day, they handed me this slip and I discovered I did not pass for my first choice or second choice. I passed for Success Laventille Composite School. I felt disappointed in my results and I even felt disappointed about other people getting what I thought was better results.

There are two ways to process it; either you process it as defeat or you process it as an opportunity to try harder.

It is important for parents to instil some foundation qualities. Courage, humility, doing your best in every situation, being open to life but also having boundaries with what you feel comfortable and uncomfortable with—these are the things I would try to make sure my child is great at.

Greatness is not just about academics. That is just one aspect of doing your best. We have to broaden our perspective on education.

Photo: Natasha Davis is the vice-president of marketing operations at UTC.
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2 comments

  1. I wrote the Common Entrance exams in 1964 and passed for my first choice which was Couva Secondary. There was one other person that passed that year from Gran Couva RC but actually four persons were place in high schools. One rich boy was placed also at Couva secondary although he did not pass the exam. Would you believe he was placed in the ‘A’ class and I was placed in the ‘B’ class? I had to struggle in the ‘B’ class with many unruly children and in form 3 we did not have a maths teacher although I excelled in maths. It was unfortunate for me as I could not write maths at GCE. The boy in the ‘A’ class failed GCE exams and I eventually passed with a full certificate and was offered a letter by the principal to go to Presentation college in Chaguanas to write ‘A’ level but I did not accept it because of financial constraint of my parents. I elected to work in the public service instead. I made a career of the Public Service but that’s the subject of another story on discrimination and corruption.

    • Common Entrance and now SEA exams are plagued with corruption. They are not based on meritocracy but the mercy of those who mark the papers and place you in schools. Children must be prepared to excel in spite of that exam. UWI and schools like it are the great equalizer. But blessed are those who reach that far.

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