As COVID-19 continues to take a toll on the education system, the Education Ministry on Thursday evening announced that it has taken a decision to cancel the National Grades Two, Four and Nine Assessments and the placement examination in 2021.
This announcement was made by Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr Marcel Hutson, who in a video released by the Ministry said that the decision was a result of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector.
“We recognise the hardships our students have been facing in terms of their readiness and preparedness for these examinations and we also recognise the need for us to also ensure that our students are safe,” Dr Hutson said on Thursday evening.
He noted that remigrant learners would be placed in appropriate List A and List B secondary schools close to their homes.
According to Dr Hutson, the Assistant Chief Education Officer and the Regional Education Officers will be responsible for ensuring that the process is carried out with the greatest degree of efficiency and effectiveness.
Meanwhile, the dates set for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) remain at August 4 and August 5, 2021.
In March, Education Minister Priya Manickchand had said that some 14,300 Grade Six students would be writing the Assessment – an increase over last year, when only 14,032 candidates wrote the exam.
In addition, she had noted that if students were unable to sit the exams, the normal procedure of placing them based on the average of the Region would be in effect.
