In view of the accepted importance of eduation, some of what has taken place during and in the aftermath of the removal of Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine as the Minister of Education and the publication of the results of the 2017 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) require some comment for they are suggesting that education outcomes are amenable to quick fixes, the open politicisation of education and that we are being too nonchalant in our approach to the impending education reforms.
Commenting on the above NGSA results, the Chief Education Officer claimed that: ‘Overall, the performance of the students has greatly improved and, in my estimation, I believe that this was as a direct result of the president’s and by extension, his Cabinet’s Emergency Mathematics Intervention done nationwide.’ I was also surprised by a similar type position taken by the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) in relation to the removal of Dr. Roopnaraine.
Apparently, the party took the president at his word when in his address at the opening of the 11th Parliament in June 2015 he expounded:
