Georgetown: At his first press conference as the new Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine articulated the enormity of the obligation the Ministry has to the thousands of students across Guyana. At a press conference to announce the results of this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), the Education Minister said that while development in other sectors are important education remains the single most important benefit to the country.
In expressing his vision for the improvement of the delivery of education in Guyana, the Minister said that he is committed to ensuring that teachers have the best facilities and are amply rewarded in relation to their salaries. Significant improvements will also have to be made in the areas of teaching, counselling and all of the other dimensions of the school system. As he plots his course of action in the various areas that require improvement, the minister stated that he will work in collaboration with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU). “This is the task I’ve set myself and it is something I can only do with your fullest cooperation,” he stated.
Dr. Roopnaraine remarking about the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) noted that there has been a decrease in the number of candidates over the years as enrollment at nursery and primary levels has dropped. The ministry anticipates that there will be an overall decrease in schools nationally based on the census data. Over the past four years there has been a wider national spread of pupils earning places in national schools, which indicates a trend towards greater equity across the country. The Minister said, however, that more needs to be done in this regard.
As it relates to the Grade 2, 4, and 6 Assessments, the minister said that consultations have been initiated with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to build capacity to ensure that the ministry has a basis for effectively measuring pupils’ performance nationally and how they compare Regionally. He said, “my ambition in this, frankly, is to make Guyana a country that everyone else admires.”
This year fifteen thousand two hundred (15,220) candidates wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) on Wednesday, 01 April and Thursday, 02 April, 2015. This exam is a placement exam offered at the end of the primary cycle to determine which secondary school students will be placed. Four subjects are usually assessed, namely English Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Each subject will consist of two papers. English Language and Science were administered on 01 April, Mathematics and Social Studies on 02 April, 2015. The final score is an accumulation of a percentage of a performance at the National Grade 2 and 4 Assessments in Mathematics and English, 5% and 10% respectively, and the NGSA.
Asked whether he was satisfied with the results of the 2015 NGSA, Dr. Roopnaraine said that he was happy with what was achieved, “I am very happy with what we have achieved. Frankly, there is more to be done,” he added. He noted too that he is not satisfied and he believes that there is room for improvement.
Performance in the Private and Public Schools
In the past persons have expressed concern regarding the disparity in performance between public and private schools. However, Dr. Roopnarained remarked that differences in performance can be attributed to a range of selective practices employed by private institutions. He stated that the ministry has always maintained the position that these are all our children and there is no need to get into a debate over the matter.
You must be logged in to post a comment.