The education ministry is considering the introduction of a new literacy assessment to determine whether primary-level students meet the required standard to sit the National Grade Six Examination (NGSE).

Shaik Baksh

Education Minister Shaik Baksh proposed the literacy assessment to head teachers of nursery, primary and secondary schools during a consultation on Thursday. The consultation was aimed at addressing issues in relation to student performance in Georgetown schools and the challenges facing the education system at those levels.

The proposal, which would see unsuccessful candidates disqualified from sitting the NGSE, after repeated failure, follows the introduction of the continuous assessment programme that was implemented in place of the Secondary School Entrance Examination (SSEE). The government had removed the SSEE, contending that one exam should not determine a child’s future.

To cater for the students who end up disqualified, a six-year education programme would be introduced to offer special mediation. At least one school in the different areas will have the six-year programme and would cater for the low achievers, Baksh told the gathering. Baksh said that the proposal would call for greater interaction between school and parents since according to him, “It’s the only way we can do it.” Expressing optimism over the new proposal, he added that he expects that there would be an improvement in literacy over the next two to three years. He stated that such a programme would cost money but he is prepared to make his case to government. Baksh also plugged the creation of the National Literacy Unit to help the school system. He stated that the ministry was currently staffing the unit.

Meanwhile, he said he analysed statistics on student performance in Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica, particularly in English and Mathematics, compared to Guyanese students. Upon further examination, he realised that at the equivalent to Guyana’s Grade Six Assessment Examination, only the two subjects were offered along with Composition.

He said this allows for students to focus on the two areas although they were still being exposed to the others. “So I want to know from you…  Should we burden students with other areas? Should we move in that direction?” Baksh asked.

He disclosed that at Grades 1-3, Guyana has 50.2% passes in English Language A, Trinidad 56%, and Jamaica 53% while Barbados was way ahead with 72.1%. In Mathematics at the same grade levels, Guyana currently has a 31.5% pass rate, Jamaica 36.1% and Trinidad 46.7%, while Barbados has a 48.5% pass rate. Baksh appealed for more attention to be placed on the two subject areas. “But it starts with you the principals. We can make it happen. We have to identify the low achievers and intervene accordingly to bring them up,” he urged.

Baksh reiterated the idea of having students write two CSEC subjects at fourth form and then another four or more at fifth form. He said that situation obtained in some Caribbean countries, while students in Guyana were burdened with sometimes 12 subjects or more.

He proposed that the maximum number of subjects which students should be allowed to write would be eight but with provisions for talented students to sit more if they wanted to. This, Baksh said, may also be responsible for the better performance of students in other countries.

The education minister said he was examining the possibility of five subjects being made compulsory while schools will decide the other subjects they would offer, taking into account matters like streaming.

The proposed compulsory subject areas would be English A, Mathematics, English B, Integrated Science and Social Studies. He recommended too that a school should not offer more than the five areas unless at least 15 students were interested.

If the number of students interested in writing a particular subject is less, the school would have to consult and then justify why the ministry should allow this. He said getting more teachers into the system was also important so that there would be a better teacher-student ratio.

The few teachers who responded to the minister’s proposals were mostly supportive. Commenting on the proposal for more focus on Mathematics and English language at NGSE, one head teacher proposed that the areas of general reasoning be restored and students be assessed in this area. She stated that this would boost Mathematics and would help students to be “on stream” as it was very helpful in the past. Another head teacher who urged that the education ministry listen more to the “practitioner in the classroom” was concerned about how the teachers could sell the literacy assessment idea to parents of the slow learners who may fail it after the allotted attempts. Baksh referred her to the six-year programme, which is proposed to bring students on par with taking on the challenge of secondary level education.

A policy document including the ministry proposals is to be circulated to all head teachers who will then indicate their comments and concerns. The ministry is to hold consultations with the other educational districts before arriving at any final decision.

For the head of the Agricola Practical Instruction Centre (PIC), Ziska Williams, managing 513 students is almost a one-woman job.

On Thursday, Williams told Education Minister Shaik Baksh and the head teachers of nursery, primary and secondary schools during a consultation on student performance and challenges facing the education system that she needed more help.

Besides Williams, there is only one teacher who works just eight hours each week. Almost in tears, Williams called on the ministry to assist, adding that she “combs the dams” each day looking for her students since she knows that in the next ten years “they will all be gone.”

The woman said she has been calling on numerous occasions for the ministry to pay the requisite attention. “I am basically between the Gaza and the Gully and I am calling for assistance once again,” she pleaded.

Baksh promised to send a team to the area to assess the needs of the institution and pledged to “do what we can do” to ensure that the school can go ahead with its technical vocation programme.