New five-month project introduced to improve Maths, English results
Georgetown, GINA, December 15, 2011
Source - GINA
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at her first interaction with Maths and English A teachers at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD).
New Education Minister Priya Manickchand has introduced a five-month pilot project which was conceived by her, in 32 secondary schools throughout the country that aims to improve Mathematics and English performance by 20 percent over that period.
Speaking at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD), Kingston, where head-teachers, heads of department and teachers gathered for their first interaction with the new Minister, she said through the programme, over 4000 Fifth form students, who will be sitting the 2012 CSEC exams and teachers, will be given all the resources they need to be able to succeed.
The Ministry will be ensuring that the students targeted get all the required resources which include, for Maths, CXC General Math 1 & 2, self study guides for CXC, a collection of revision DVDs, combined past papers from 2008 to 2011, model solutions to difficult answers, a geometry set, graph paper and scientific calculator, each. The package for English A includes a collection of past papers, a dictionary, and combined solutions and in specific schools assistance will also be given for English B (Literature).
Meanwhile, each teacher will receive a copy of the subject syllabus and a similar package to what the students will have.
Head teachers and Maths and English teachers gathered at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD).
“The education sector has seen large investments, in fact the largest in terms of the resources that are plugged into the ministry, but we are not seeing the corresponding results proportionate to the investment made particularly in core subjects like Mathematics and English,” stated Minister Manickchand.
In this regard, she explained that if Guyanese children can’t matriculate with Maths and English it means that there are a lot of doors closed to them with respect to jobs and education.
The Education Ministry has long recognised that students’ performance particularly in Maths and English A has been of concern, nevertheless, the ministry stepped up to the challenge by implementing several initiatives aimed at improving performance; they include the special training for Maths and English teachers via the Non-Graduate programme, workshops with subject specialists, strengthening the Maths programme at the Cyril Potter College of Education, and the institutionalization of the remediation programme.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand engaging Schools’ Welfare Officers gathered at National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) for a workshop.
This year the achieved pass rate for English A is 60.8 percent as compared to 59.2 percent in 2010 while in Mathematics there was a decrease from 34.5 percent to 30.4 in 2010.
With regards to Maths results, the decline in performance has not only been a challenge for Guyana but across the Caribbean. In Barbados the pass rate for Maths is 38 percent, Jamaica 31 percent, and Trinidad and Tobago 31 percent.
The selected schools were chosen on the basis that their results were good in 2010 and 2011. That indicates that the school has the necessary foundation and trained teachers with which to work.
Some of the targeted schools include Abram Zuil and Aurora, Region 2; Stewartville, Leonora, and Zeeburg, Region 3; Annandale, Covent Garden, and Bladen Hall, Region 4; East Ruimveldt, North Georgetown, Brickdam, and Richard Ishmael in Georgetown; Bush Lot, Bygeval, and Woodley Park primary-top, Region 5; Tagore, New Amsterdam Multilateral, and Skeldon Line Path, Region 6; Three Miles, Region 7; St. Ignatius, Region 9; and in Region 10 Mackenzie High, Silver City, and Christianburg secondary schools.
Minister Manickchand and a team of Ministry Officials is currently visiting the schools that are engaged in the programme to emphasise the importance of compliance by students and to commit to working towards attaining success.
She emphasised that the expected increase in pass rates will cause a turn about in the view students have towards subjects perceived to be difficult and the confidence level of students and teachers will also increase.
Minister Manickchand proffered that one factor that perhaps influences results may be that the confidence level of students and teachers is very low.
Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam stressed that a lot of confidence is being placed on the teachers, now, to ensure that every student reach his or her full academic potential.
He recalled that over a year and a half ago 110 secondary head teachers had met, at the same location, with the call made for the development of a different orientation/approach of how students are prepared for CSEC, particularly Maths and English since those two subjects are critical for higher learning and securing jobs.
Sam recognised that there have been changes which are recognised in schools committing to a more robust remediation programme, and teachers giving more of their time to students who need additional support.
While at NCERD, Minister Manickchand also met staff of the Schools Welfare department.
Georgetown, GINA, December 15, 2011
Source - GINA
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at her first interaction with Maths and English A teachers at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD).New Education Minister Priya Manickchand has introduced a five-month pilot project which was conceived by her, in 32 secondary schools throughout the country that aims to improve Mathematics and English performance by 20 percent over that period.
Speaking at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD), Kingston, where head-teachers, heads of department and teachers gathered for their first interaction with the new Minister, she said through the programme, over 4000 Fifth form students, who will be sitting the 2012 CSEC exams and teachers, will be given all the resources they need to be able to succeed.
The Ministry will be ensuring that the students targeted get all the required resources which include, for Maths, CXC General Math 1 & 2, self study guides for CXC, a collection of revision DVDs, combined past papers from 2008 to 2011, model solutions to difficult answers, a geometry set, graph paper and scientific calculator, each. The package for English A includes a collection of past papers, a dictionary, and combined solutions and in specific schools assistance will also be given for English B (Literature).
Meanwhile, each teacher will receive a copy of the subject syllabus and a similar package to what the students will have.
Head teachers and Maths and English teachers gathered at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD).“The education sector has seen large investments, in fact the largest in terms of the resources that are plugged into the ministry, but we are not seeing the corresponding results proportionate to the investment made particularly in core subjects like Mathematics and English,” stated Minister Manickchand.
In this regard, she explained that if Guyanese children can’t matriculate with Maths and English it means that there are a lot of doors closed to them with respect to jobs and education.
The Education Ministry has long recognised that students’ performance particularly in Maths and English A has been of concern, nevertheless, the ministry stepped up to the challenge by implementing several initiatives aimed at improving performance; they include the special training for Maths and English teachers via the Non-Graduate programme, workshops with subject specialists, strengthening the Maths programme at the Cyril Potter College of Education, and the institutionalization of the remediation programme.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand engaging Schools’ Welfare Officers gathered at National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) for a workshop.This year the achieved pass rate for English A is 60.8 percent as compared to 59.2 percent in 2010 while in Mathematics there was a decrease from 34.5 percent to 30.4 in 2010.
With regards to Maths results, the decline in performance has not only been a challenge for Guyana but across the Caribbean. In Barbados the pass rate for Maths is 38 percent, Jamaica 31 percent, and Trinidad and Tobago 31 percent.
The selected schools were chosen on the basis that their results were good in 2010 and 2011. That indicates that the school has the necessary foundation and trained teachers with which to work.
Some of the targeted schools include Abram Zuil and Aurora, Region 2; Stewartville, Leonora, and Zeeburg, Region 3; Annandale, Covent Garden, and Bladen Hall, Region 4; East Ruimveldt, North Georgetown, Brickdam, and Richard Ishmael in Georgetown; Bush Lot, Bygeval, and Woodley Park primary-top, Region 5; Tagore, New Amsterdam Multilateral, and Skeldon Line Path, Region 6; Three Miles, Region 7; St. Ignatius, Region 9; and in Region 10 Mackenzie High, Silver City, and Christianburg secondary schools.
Minister Manickchand and a team of Ministry Officials is currently visiting the schools that are engaged in the programme to emphasise the importance of compliance by students and to commit to working towards attaining success.
She emphasised that the expected increase in pass rates will cause a turn about in the view students have towards subjects perceived to be difficult and the confidence level of students and teachers will also increase.
Minister Manickchand proffered that one factor that perhaps influences results may be that the confidence level of students and teachers is very low.
Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam stressed that a lot of confidence is being placed on the teachers, now, to ensure that every student reach his or her full academic potential.
He recalled that over a year and a half ago 110 secondary head teachers had met, at the same location, with the call made for the development of a different orientation/approach of how students are prepared for CSEC, particularly Maths and English since those two subjects are critical for higher learning and securing jobs.
Sam recognised that there have been changes which are recognised in schools committing to a more robust remediation programme, and teachers giving more of their time to students who need additional support.
While at NCERD, Minister Manickchand also met staff of the Schools Welfare department.
