Education sector to focus on quality education in 2014

Guyana has been doing well in the education sector, its students continued to cop the cream of the  regional CSEC awards in 2013, and several initiatives such as the school uniform and school feeding programmes have led to school attendance skyrocketing.

There are plans to build and extend more schools with the intent that every single child of secondary age will be able to access a five-year secondary education programme in each region. This has been achieved in some regions, but more work has to be done in Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, Permanent Secretary

Delma Nedd and Chief Education Officer Olato Sam at the 2013

year-end press conference

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, addressing the press corps at the Cara Lodge Hotel on Monday, observed that it was difficult to review how many lives were changed and how much work was done within the sector as she delivered the annual review of the sector.

While Guyana has achieved universal access to primary education, this will have to be supported by quality education. The Minister said that the education sector is now collaborating with teachers to achieve this, even as work has begun to target a similar achievement in secondary education.

Students of the St Gabriel’s primary enjoying biscuits and juice

provided by government

Pass rates

The academic progress of students in Guyana was examined in 2013 at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) levels.

These results were found to be very encouraging, indicating that Guyana has been doing very well and being at the best place the country has ever been, regarding Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Science and other subjects.

Guyana copped five of the top eight CSEC awards, a clear indication its investments in education are paying off. Anna Regina’s Yogeeta Persaud was adjudged the Most outstanding candidate overall.

CXC Chairman, Professor Nigel Harris presents the Most

Outstanding Candidate Overall award to Yogeeta Persaud

of the Anna Regina Secondary School

Minister Manickchand explained however, that the Ministry is not satisfied with all the results, and the Minister announced plans to seek assistance to improve on the pass rates in Maths and English and better the quality of learning provided by hinterland schools in 2014.

The Education Ministry has secured the services of two specialists in Mathematics, one in the secondary sector and the other in the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), towards improving pass rates in the subject.

Expenditure

In 2013, the education sector was allocated $ 28.7 Billion of which 94% was expended while 5% has been committed for ongoing work in 2014. This will include buildings that have begun, as well as the delivery of services which were procured in 2013. Most of the expenditure has been spent on school feeding which has produced results in sky rocketing attendance rates.  Minister Manickchand explained that the spending of millions of dollars meant that the Ministry was able to serve the country, children and families by making the necessary expenditure.

Early Childhood Education

The age change for entering Nursery school was announced in 2013, with a child having to be three years by June 31. With effect from September 2014, children will enter the formal education system at three years three months, six months earlier than previously obtained.

The new age requirement will see just under 3,000 more children entering the formal school system. While there is no mandate for compulsory nursery education in Guyana, more than 85% of children who can attend at that level, do so.

Minister Manickchand observed that while Guyana probably has the largest percentage in the Commonwealth Caribbean of the number of children enrolled in school, the country is envied for the Early Childhood programme.

She observed that a study to determine what children know, as opposed to what they should know when they enter the nursery programme was conducted in 2013. The results of this study are to be published through a massive advertising campaign targeting parents to guide them in preparing their children to enter the school system. Parents will also be encouraged to use home materials for doing this without having to bear the additional cost of acquiring materials.

New material for nursery level  

The Roraima Readers is a new series of books and work material that will be introduced in 2014 for use in nursery schools. They include readers, work books, writing skills workbooks, flash cards, charts and assessments. This series is currently being piloted and excellent reviews have been received.

“The reviews led us to believe that the product is excellent,” Minister Manickchand stated.

It is expected that it will be introduced with minor adjustments in September 2014, enabling Guyana not to have to purchase foreign text books at great cost.

Primary Sector

Another study, in the primary sector, saw tests across the country, assessing students from Grades One to Six in literacy. The results of that study, along with recommendations and a plan of action will also be published.

The Education Minister observed that as a country Guyana is doing the best in the areas of English and comprehension skills. She explained that using results as an indicator shows that the system is continuously improving with a steady increase in every area over the past 10 years.

Also in the pipeline, is the writing of text books for the Primary sector. Whilst the rights for text books in Social Studies, Mathematics and Science are owned, writing Readers for English is in the process.

Minister Manickchand reported also that interaction with students, teachers and parents has revealed that many think a second look should be taken of the curriculum for Grades Four and Five. She said the Social Studies and Science curricula are being looked at to ensure that any change would not take away from the regional curricula whilst at the same time, the needs of age appropriate learning in the classroom would be met.

Teachers

The Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) turned out the largest number of trained teachers in 2013, whilst it is expected that 80% of teachers will be trained before the next five years. The Associate Degree in Education Programme will guarantee that more educators will be graduates.

New Language  

Secondary students in Grade 7 were among the first to receive language studies in Portuguese when the Ministry launched the new subject which was administered at five schools; Queen’s College, Bishops’ High, St. Stanislaus College, and St. Rose’s and St. Joseph High Schools.

The curriculum package includes two work books for students (for in class and homework activities), and compact discs (CDs) that will assist with pronunciation. Teachers were provided with curriculum guides for Grade 7, hand book on basic Portuguese, and a textbook on everything Brazilian.

Literacy

The process of drafting a national plan of action regarding literacy will examine specific actions to be taken and costing them to ensure that in five years, 80 percent of primary school children are literate by the time they exit Grade Four.

Additionally, the ministry has introduced extra-curricular activities aimed at providing a rounded education to children at all levels. These activities include the introduction of steel pan into schools and opportunities for honing debating skills.

The initiative succeeded in strengthening the access of the schools to such activities that are not necessarily part of the academic programme.

Projections for 2014

The intention for 2014 is to achieve Universal Secondary Education before 2016. Whilst this has been achieved in some regions, there is still work to be done in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, as well as to achieve general proficiency secondary education on the coastland.  Some of the areas, while not needing new buildings, require transportation modes and work is being done to achieve this.

It is hoped that in 2014, all furniture needed would be provided for every nursery, secondary and primary school along with furniture for teachers and dormitories. Further, the new age for nursery education will be implemented whilst the Roraima Readers will be introduced into the system.

Collaboration with the World Bank is being examined for the introduction of new measures to make learning Mathematics accessible and interesting. Minister Manickchand noted that in Caribbean countries this is being done whilst it has been recognised that with regard to Maths it is not that in all areas of the subject that students are failing, but with regard to Guyana it is simply that a 43% pass rate is not liked.

The 2008-2013 five-year strategic plan of the Ministry of Education has come to an end, and the intention is to review progress from 2008 and consult with all stakeholders for publication of the new five-year plan, 2013-2018 by the end of January 2014.

The Ministry also plans to lay a draft Education Bill before the National Assembly, and, within the first quarter of 2014 regulations are expected to be in place for off-shore institutions in Guyana.

Extra attention will be paid to hinterland education with specific attention to resources at the dormitories and accommodation for teachers. Further, more intense attention will be paid to quality education for children with special needs.

The opening of a unit for the blind will see such children attend the school next to the unit, and the Ministry will be examining incentives for special needs’ teachers and their promotion is being looked at along with more focused training.

Regarding hinterland education, the target for 2014 will ensure that all resources are made available to all hinterland students. Payment for house parents will be re-examined, along with the TACKLE project with the recognition that transportation is not the only aspect of the project to be addressed.