…as MOE hosts virtual consultations
Parents of Grade Six students across Guyana have been given a range of options to choose from on how their children can possibly write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Exam this year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The options were presented by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and include: not writing the exams and the placement of students based on their Grade Two and Four results; writing the Grade Six Exams Paper One and Two as normal; writing the exam with content only up to Grade Five with Papers One and Two; reducing subjects to just Math and English either up to Grade Five or Six; writing the exam with content up to Grade Six with Paper One only; reducing the number of questions on the Grade Six Paper Two; doing projects and tests instead of an exam; and the child being placed in his/her catchment area for high school.
To determine the preference and other challenges, the Education Ministry held zoom meetings on Friday first with parents from Regions One to Five then, with those from Regions Six to Ten.
Present were Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Huston.
The day prior, the MOE held a similar Zoom meeting but with Grade Six Teachers and it is yet to meet with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) to listen to their concerns.
During the meetings, more parents supported an exam based on content up to Grade Five with the full examination or an examination with content up to the Grade Six level but with Paper One only.
Defending the option for the exams up the Grade Five, a parent named Deslyn stated: “I think it would be better for the children to just focus on the work they would done from Grade One to Five. I don’t think that they’re ready for Grade Six. I know the teachers would have been working hard with them but I don’t think the children or the teachers are able to sit this exam, doing work that they would have done in Grade Six, because school has been out and they’re not prepared.”
Another parent, Lisa Gouveia said: “Due to the pandemic we’re in, I don’t think they would have been able to cover the Grade Six work as how they should but for the Grade Five they were there and they were present and I think they had the teaching that they would have needed to sit that exam.”
Explaining her choice for the exams up to Grade Six and Paper One only, one grandparent stated: “There are a lot of slow learners who would get an opportunity to do what they know because, in some areas, from [Grades] Two and Four, some children are slow learners and, coming up to Grade Five, then they picked up.”
During the event, a poll was taken on the most preferred options. However, Minister Manickchand informed the parents that the poll will not be the sole decider for what is eventually done.
Some of the other suggestions coming from parents included that the children write the full examination up to Grade Six but only the Mathematics and English subjects while Social Studies and Science would be graded through projects.
Some parents suggested the full Grade Six Paper One and Two with consideration taken during grading to the circumstances of the pandemic. However, another parent contended that while she may be able to speak with confidence that her child can take the full Grade Six exam, Papers One and Two, the exam is a national one and not prepared only for her child. She said parents ought to consider that not all children, especially those in far-flung areas, are fully prepared.
There has been no fixed date for the exam as yet. However, the MOE can confirm that the exam will not take place during the March/April period as per usual.
The period being examined falls between the last week in July and the first two weeks in August 2021. The MOE can also confirm that Grade Six students will not return to the classroom setting in January 2021.
In closing remarks, Dr. Huston said the Ministry is considering both safety and the need for Guyana’s children to move forward academically.
“These examinations, by no means will be set in such a way that it will disadvantage students and that is why we have had these calls and we have registered every single comment that was made.”
Meanwhile, Minister Manickchand thanked the parents, grandparents and guardians for their feedback and assured that the decisions eventually made will be made in the interest of Guyana’s Grade Six students. She reminded, however, that any announcement of the Ministry will be subject to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health based on the risk of the Coronavirus.
