Parliamentarian calls on Education Ministry to address high failure rates in CXC Math and English

Deborah BackerGeorgetown: Member of Parliament Deborah Backer says the Ministry of Education needs to publish a detailed analysis of the 2013 CESEC results, so that policies can be developed to address high failure rates, particularly in Mathematics and English Language.

Backer believes that while Guyana is expected to top the Caribbean once again with the Anna Regina Multilateral School student Zimeena Rasheed securing 18 grade ones and 2 grade twos, there is a concern over the under performers.

On Tuesday, the Education Ministry reported that just over 28 percent of students who wrote Mathematics passed with Grades One to Three. And that represents a one percent drop from last year.

Earlier in the week the Alliance For Change party also said that it is concerned about the large number of students whose performances were below par.

Backer said that Guyana should adopt a policy like what Barbados and Jamaica has done so that students should only be allowed take a specified number of subjects.

Backer who is also the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly pointed out that an education is not about the number of subjects one secures at CSEC, but rather how they can perform outside of academics and in the real world.