Schools in east Trinidad have reported no hiccups Thursday morning as Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) students arrived to write the exam.

The Ministry of Education said 19,839 students are registered to sit the exam throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

Newsday visited several schools in La Horquetta, Arima, Malabar, Valencia and Sangre Grande where the children, accompanied by their parents, despite a light rainfall, arrived as early as 6.30 am prepared to go through the brief covid19 screening process before being allowed into the examination rooms.

A parent at La Horquetta North, Cimone Franklyn-Reid, said she did everything in her power, including giving her daughter at least three briefs and a pep talk days leading up to the exam.

"I told her I know she misses her friend but don't hug, don't congregate, and that it is very important to follow the covid19 protocols.

"I wasn't going to send her out. I was sceptical. I don't feel the same way now because of the protocols in place to ensure social distancing, and by now she knows how to protect herself.

“We're in this pandemic over a year now, and before the country was unsure. But now we are more familiar with the virus. We know how to teach our children to be safe."

At all of the examination sites Newsday visited, there were screening areas and sanitisation hubs.

Minister in the Ministry of Education Lisa Morris-Julian, during her early morning checks at schools, told the media she is satisfied with the process thus far.

[caption id="attachment_898309" align="alignnone" width="1024"] CHECK: A security guard checks the temperature of Minister in the Ministry of Education Lisa Morris as she enters Malabar New Government Primary School on SEA exam day Thursday to ensure all is in readiness. Photo by Roger Jacob -[/caption]

She said there hasn't been any reports of students turning up with flu-like symptoms.

"I think the biggest difference is this morning the parents are dropping and leaving.

“In the past, there were parents who would stand outside the gates for the entire exam waiting patiently. We're not having that this morning. Parents also understand what they have to do so. That is why we visited to make sure that the children are doing okay. And that's what I'm telling the parents, 'Your children are doing fine.’"

When Newsday visited the Valencia Government North, Valencia South Government and Cumaca RC, the exam had already began.

From the roadside, students, some in physical education uniform, were seen sitting six feet apart focused on the SEA booklet before them.

Newsday also saw Candi Guy, parent of two, waiting at the Valencia Government Primary School main entrance to drop off lunch by the security while the exam was in progress.

She said she wasn't aware of the refreshments being provided and she was more concerned for the safety of her daughters than their performance in the exam.