[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Education Ministry has embarked on a number of outreach programmes aimed at developing a sound education policy that will cut across all regions, communities, and socio-economic standings.
The policy will realize the eradication of illiteracy and allow students to realise their full potential.
Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine in ensuring that such a policy is properly designed, has embarked upon a series of community meetings where residents, parents and teachers can sit and discuss the issues affecting the current education system, and together formalize the way forward.
At one such meeting held recently at Buxton, East Coast Demerara, Minister Roopnaraine indicated that his intention was to do away parts of the National Grade Six Assessment process.
“The accumulation of points at Grades Two and Four, I’m looking to eliminate…it shouldn’t be,” the minister said. He explained that the scores earned at those exams are there to serve only as a guide to teachers, so they have a fair idea of the areas they need to focus with the students.
The previous administration had implemented the ‘accumulation system’ a few years ago which saw the results of National Grades Two and Four Assessments being included in the computation of students final National Grade Six results. [GINA]
The minister is right many times the grade 2 and 4 results do not add in to the grade 6 so kids who do well during 2 and 4 are rob of their results and just base on their grade 6 so let us mark as just grade 6
Support this stance completely. pupils just writing the NGSE scored really high marks but were pulled down by the Grade 2 n scores. use the scores for diagnostic purposes.
Children in developed country are taking standardized exam which are way more advance than what we have in Guyana.have u ever compare a grade 2 reader of other country to a Guyanese grade 6? What next are they going to do to take Guyana backwards.
I agree 100%. A child at grade 2 ( 7 year old) and with Priya’s innovation, now (6 yrs) is still in the formative years, battling with eye – hand coordination, left – right confusion, forming shapes, concepts, etc. An exam such as the ones given at the stage does not address the needs of the child.
I wish to advise that the Minister approach be that of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) rather than the STEM one proposed. This approach will address all the needs of students from Nursery to University and ultimately benefit Guyana.
The humane aspect is missing from the STEM approach. We do not see the benefits but rest assured in time the country will benefit from better morals, standards, love for fellow man, animals and the environment, etc., etc.
In the other hand, when you think, let’s say: your child has a strong dengue on the week of the ONLY exams….her entire school life is in the drain…
The Education Ministry should act according to best practices proposed by researches and not just mere instincts. Developed countries have already begun the process of doing away with standardized exams as there are many factors that contributed to the weaknesses of the validity and reliability of the results. The name the first; its a one-size fits all approach. Kids learn differently and should be assesses differently. Therefore, the one shout Grade 6 assessment is an injustice to students who are not test-driven or recall-driven. A point to note is the world is not test-drive, so why should this be the only form of assessment for these students!
Dotishness by the previous administration !
Completely, ignores a whole range of developmental issues that has nothing to do with academic ability /potential at the time of the exams.
The grade 2 n 4 exam is a joke some teachers take it personal n think they r teaching but when the kids reach grade6 they r under performing