Parents and guardians are being urged by the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) to remain calm ahead of the release of the 2023 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) results for grade-six students.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kaysia Kerr, said PEP is one component of the Ministry of Education and Youth’s system of assessment that helps with organisation of students for the continuation of learning.

Consequently, she told JIS News, PEP results should not be treated as a measure of a child’s ultimate success in life.

“It really is there to provide important information so that children, parents and teachers will know what support they need as they transition to high school. Because of this, there is really no need to fear. Parents need not have apprehension in terms of where children will be placed,” Ms. Kerr noted.

She assures parents that there are “great teachers” right across Jamaica’s education system, whether or not their children transition to a school of their choice.

The CEO further pointed out that some students may be disappointed when the PEP results are announced.

“Disappointment is OK as long as children get to understand that this is not the end all or be all. Learning will continue. In fact, learning is a lifelong process and this is just the beginning of an exciting part of the learning journey,” she underscores.

Ms. Kerr encourages parents to explain, in ways that children will understand and in a manner that is gentle and comforting, that PEP results provide a comprehensive assessment of their academic strengths and weaknesses.

She also suggests that parents initiate the conversation about defining learning expectations of their children and determining practical steps to achieving their academic goals.

“I don’t believe that it is a time when children need to be very sad and parents need to pass on their anxieties to children. It’s actually an opportunity for you to understand who your child is as a learner and what you can do as a parent to assist your child,” she emphasised.

During the summer break, Ms. Kerr wants parents to download the National Standards Curriculum to gain an understanding of the objectives.

She maintained that when parents are involved in the learning process, children are more likely to achieve the results they desire.

An agency of the Ministry of Education and Youth, the Commission’s mission is to assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children. This, while encouraging a collaborative effort between home and school, so that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of their children.

Parents can contact the Commission for support at 876-967-7777 or 876-560-9272.