While the Government has hailed the 2026 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results as a historic success, the Alliance For Change (AFC) has argued that the examination exposes a more troubling reality—thousands of Guyanese children are still being failed by the country’s education system.
In a statement following Friday’s release of the results, the AFC congratulated all students who sat the examination, particularly those who topped the country, but warned that the celebrations should not obscure the performance of the nearly one-quarter of candidates who failed to attain even 50 per cent of the available marks.
“The 2026 NGSA results show that the education system continues to fail a large number of our children,” the party said.
The party pointed out that almost one in every four students scored below the 50 per cent threshold, a statistic it said represents a failure of the education system rather than of the children themselves.
“We do not consider this a failure of those children but rather, failure of a system that does not provide equitable resources for our schools,” the party stated.
The criticism comes as Education Minister Sonia Parag celebrated what the Government described as the best NGSA performance in the examination’s history. Twenty students shared the top position after each attaining the maximum score of 484.52 marks, while the Ministry of Education highlighted significant improvements in Mathematics, English and Science.
Government officials have also touted increased pass rates as evidence that education reforms are yielding results.
The AFC, however, contended that the impressive performances at the top of the rankings should not distract from the educational challenges confronting thousands of other students.
While commending the country’s highest achievers, the party reminded students and parents that the NGSA is only one milestone in a much longer academic journey.
“Completion of the NGSA is an important step in the academic journey, but it is not the only one,” the statement said, encouraging students to continue striving for excellence as they transition to secondary school.
The party also called on the Ministry of Education and Regional Education Departments to focus on improving learning conditions before the new school year begins.
It urged authorities to complete rehabilitation works at schools, ensure classrooms are adequately supplied, and continue efforts to raise academic performance across all subjects and educational levels.
“The AFC supports continuing efforts to improve performance in all subjects and at all levels of the education system,” the party said.
Beyond its criticism of the education system, the AFC paid tribute to teachers, parents and guardians, acknowledging their role in helping students reach this important stage.
It credited teachers for their dedication and commitment and thanked parents and guardians for the sacrifices they continue to make to support their children’s education.
The party’s statement injects a contrasting perspective into the national conversation surrounding this year’s NGSA results, shifting the focus from record-breaking performances at the top of the merit list to the thousands of students who continue to struggle with foundational learning. For the AFC, the true measure of Guyana’s education system is not how many students achieve perfect scores, but whether every child is given a fair opportunity to succeed.
