Junior Lyceum Entrance Examinations 1997 - The Chief Examiners' Reports

The Educational Assessment Unit of the Education Division has issued its annual report covering the various aspects of the Junior Lyceum Entrance Examinations. An important section of this report is the Chief Examiners' Reports.

The English examination paper tested the basic language patterns needed for ordinary communications. The Chief Examiner stressed the importance of oral skills to help candidates build enough confidence to use the language meaningfully and express themselves well. Major weaknesses shown by candidates were lack of creativity, deviation from the subject, incorrect spelling, wrong tenses and other grammar errors. It is important that children learn to write to a set plan and to keep within the subject.

The Chief Examiner for Mathematics noted that most questions were meant to test the candidates' ability to apply mathematics in different everyday life situations. Such an ability was demonstrated by candidates who had the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding. A table in the report showed that great emphasis was placed in the paper on understanding concepts. Teachers should therefore direct their efforts mainly towards providing pupils with opportunities for practical experiences, creative work and discussions to facilitate understanding.

The Chief Examiner for Religion wrote that the paper presented a set of graded exercises that all children of average ability could tackle with ease, while those who were better prepared found room to excel. Candidates were given full marks when they answered adequately in their own words.

The Chief Examiner for Social Studies wrote that candidates who relied on common sense without spending hours of parrot-like studying were successful. In this manner understanding and rational thinking was required instead of knowledge for its own sake. This emphasis on understanding was depicted by a specification grid that formed part of the report.

The Chief Examiner for Maltese remarked that teachers should encourage pupils to read a lot and to use their imagination. They should teach them to write in a simple style and to make full use of idioms and phrases that they may come across and get accustomed to using in their daily life. Weaknesses shown were lack of originality, bad spelling, wrong sequence, and poor paragraph construction.

In their reports, Chief Examiners mentioned the effort made by the examiners to make the papers as child-friendly as possible. Although this resulted in the papers consisting of more pages than usual the amount of work required from the candidates remained the same.

The Examiners also gave an analysis of the performance of candidates in each item of the examination papers. This analysis should be read in conjunction with the examination papers and mark schemes, appendices IV and V of the report.

Copies of the Junior Lyceum Entrance Examinations Report may be found at the Local Councils and at the public libraries in Valletta, Floriana and Victoria, Gozo. They may also be bought from the D.O.I. book shop in Castille Square, Valletta.

Ezami ghad-Dhul fil-Junior Lyceum 1997 - Rapport ta' l-Ezaminaturi

L-Educational Assessment Unit tad-Diviújoni ta' l-Edukazzjoni æadha kif ippubblikat ir-rapport annwali taæha dwar l-eúamijiet æad-dóul fil-Junior Lyceum 1997. Dan ir-rapport jitratta aspetti varji ta' dan l-eúami. Sezzjoni importanti tar-rapport tiíbor fiha l-kummenti ta' l-Eúaminaturi Ewlenin.

Il-karta ta' l-Ingliú eúaminat il-lingwa baúika li tintuúa waqt komunikazzjoni ta' kuljum. L-Eúaminatur Ewlieni saóaq fuq l-importanza li t-tfal jitkellmu l-lingwa biex irabbu l-kunfidenza u jkunu kapaði juúawha bis-sens u jesprimu ruóhom tajjeb. Difetti li óaríu kienu nuqqas ta' kreativita', úbalji ta' ortografija u uúu ta' verbi óúiena. Deher ukoll il-búonn li xi tfal jitæallmu jiktbu skond pjan imfassal minn qabel u júommu mas-suííett.

L-Eúaminatur Ewlieni tal-Matematika qal li óafna mid-domandi kienu maósuba biex jittestjaw il-óila ta' l-istudent li juúa l-matematika f'sitwazzjonijiet ta' kuljum. Din il-óila dehret f'dawk il-kandidati li kellhom it-taælim u s-senæa meótieía u li fehmu sew il-problemi. L-æalliema æandom jaæmlu minn kollox biex jipprovdu lit-tfal ið-ðans li jitæallmu bil-prattika u li jieódu sehem f'diskussjonijiet li permezz taæhom jifhmu aójar.

L-Eúaminatur Ewlieni tal-Malti óeííeí lill-æalliema biex jæinu lit-tfal juúaw l-immaíinazzjoni taæhom, juruhom kif jiktbu bi stil sempliði fil-waqt li juúaw fraúijiet u idjomi li jkunu ltaqæu maæhom u draw juúaw fil-óajja ta' kuljum. Difetti li dehru mit-tweíibiet tat-tfal kienu : nuqqas ta' idejat u ta' oriíinalita' minóabba nuqqas ta' qari; úbalji fl-ortografija; sekwenza óaúina u tqassim óaúin ta' paragrafi. Madanakollu ssemmew ukoll komponimenti sbieó óafna, miktubin b'Malti idjomatiku tajjeb u ortografija xierqa.

L-Eúaminatur Ewlieni tar-Reliíjon qal li l-karta kienet maæmula b'mod li tfal ta' kapaðita' medja setæu iweíbuha bla tbatija, filwaqt li tfal li kienu ppreparati tajjeb íabu marki æoljin sew. Tfal li flok ma kkwotaw il-ktieb wieíbu tajjeb fi kliemhom inæataw il-marki kollha.

L-Eúaminatur Ewlieni ta' l-Istudju Soðjali qal li dawk it-tfal li uúaw is-sens komun bla ma æaddew sieæat jistudjaw bóal pappagall setæu jæaddu. Hemm búonn li t-tfal jifhmu u jaósbu, mhux biss jitæallmu bl-amment.

Punt ieóor interessanti li óareí minn dan ir-rapport hu li l-eúaminaturi æamlu sforz qawwi biex il-karti ta' l-eúami jkunu maæmula b'mod li jæinu lit-tfal u æalkemm kull karta kienet tikkonsisti f'aktar paíni mis-snin ta' qabel l-ammont ta' xoæol li kien fihom baqa' l-istess.

L-Eúaminaturi Ewlenin taw ukoll taærif fuq kif marru l-kandidati f'kull karta. Dan it-taærif æandu jinqara flimkien mal-karti ta' l-eúami u l-iskemi tal-marki li jinstabu f'appendiði IV u V tar-rapport.

Kopji ta' dan ir-rapport jinstabu fil-Kunsilli Lokali u fil-libreriji pubbliði tal-Belt Valletta, ir-Furjana u r-Rabat, Æawdex. Jistæu ukoll jinxtraw mid-Dipartiment ta' l-Informazzjoni, il-Belt, Valletta.