At least half of the students, who sat for the benchmark examinations this year, obtained 70% or more. The 3,600 students who sat for the Maltese, Mathematics and English examinations hailed from 61 primary schools. Interviewed by TVM.com.mt, the Education Assessment Unit spokesperson, Tano Bugeja, pointed out that while the overall picture at first hand seems positive, half of the students obtained low marks. Mr Bugeja stressed the importance of these examination, which give schools a clearer picture of the students’ abilities and the areas in which they require more assistance. The results for these basic subjects, normally, determine results for the rest of the subjects.