A primary school has delayed giving its students a controversial test to find out if they are gifted after teachers complained.

Thousands of primary school students were scheduled to sit the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) this week in order to establish a “baseline survey” of the abilities of 2,600 children in public primary schools.

But Port Royal Primary School in Southampton has delayed holding the exam after teachers threatened to boycott it. Students were expected to sit the test yesterday, but educators complained that they and parents were given little notice.

The test, which was initiated by Government, was also condemned by Bermuda Union of Teachers general secretary Mike Charles, who said it was “something that not enough thought has gone into”, while Education Minister Grant Gibbons acknowledged that it had “caught some people off guard”.

In a letter to parents yesterday morning, Port Royal principal Holly Richardson explained that staff had written a letter to the Department of Education expressing their concerns. Ms Richardson added that she had talks with the department’s acting commissioner, Lou Matthews.

“This evening, the letter that was submitted by the teachers will be shared with you, and I will also share the information provided to me by Dr. Matthews,” Ms Richardson wrote.

“At this time, the testing has been rescheduled to next Tuesday.”