– only two schools offering it at CAPE

A reduction in Physics teachers at top secondary schools across the country has left Science students unable to pursue this subject at Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examina-tion (CAPE) level for the new academic year.

While the subject was written at this year’s sixth-form examinations, it will only be offered at President’s College and the New Amsterdam Secondary School, according to a Ministry of Education advertisement in the June 1 edition of this newspaper.

Asked recently about the absence of Physics, which has been considered an important core Science subject, Education Minister Shaik Baksh acknowledged that there was a problem offering this subject and blamed it on the lack of teachers.

“It is true. But this is due to the acute shortage of teachers,” he said, adding that to further complicate this situation not many Physics graduates come out of the University of Guyana.

However, Baksh said his ministry was looking for ways to deal with this issue while stressing that it was a very important Science subject.

Stabroek News was told that students studying the Sciences would often do either Chemistry and Biology together or Physics and Pure Mathematics.

One student said this was so because Physics alone entails lots of work and students often feel that they cannot cope with all the Science subjects together. However, a few students do attempt this.
This newspaper was told that St Stanislaus and Queen’s College offered Physics at this year’s sitting but it was not listed for the next academic year.

Several top schools were contacted and this newspaper found that it was also offered at St Rose’s High but not at the Bishops’ High School.

According to the ad, which was for admission to the Lower Sixth Form for the 2008/2009 academic year, all students must do Communication Studies and Caribbean Studies.

With regard to the Sciences, Queen’s College is offering Biology, Chemistry and Pure Mathematics; Mackenzie High, Biology; St Rose’s along with St. Joseph, Berbice High and Bishops’ High, Pure Mathematics; President’s College, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Pure Mathematics; St Stanislaus, Biology, Chemistry and Pure Mathematics and New Amsterdam Secondary, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.