Standard 6

These are the Standard 6 students along with their teacher, Mr. Ical. Standard 6 is equivalent to grade 8 and the final class of primary school. At the end of the school year, these students will take their PSE (Primary School Exam) to see if they can go on to secondary school. Different schools require different scores. So this test is very important. Most of the students must write support letters as there is a fee to take the exam. So much pressure at such a young age. The teachers are offering extra classes (I might help with the math!) after school each day to help the students prepare. You may wonder what happens to those who cannot afford continuing their education or to those who fail the PSE, but keep in mind, children are only required to be in school up to age 14, so some are finished on the day of their 15th birthday. This contributes to the fact that about 40% of students finish primary school here in Belize. I hope to see all these Standard 6 students at Santa Teresa Roman Catholic School taking the PSE in June and going on to secondary school!