NGSA layout changes…Nothing sinister in new format – Chief Executive Officer

The changes by the Ministry of Education that require the children writing the National Grade Six Assessment

Chief Education
Officer, Olato Sam

(NGSA), to write their names as opposed to the traditional candidate numbers on examination papers, have resulted in a few raised eyebrows.
Recently, members of the parliamentary opposition weighed in on the issue. Former Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, cited the change as a chink in the integrity armour of Guyana’s education system.
With a name instead of a number, Manickchand said that it will pave the way for subjectivity when it comes to the marking of the local aspect of the paper.
Chief Education Officer (CEO), Olato Sam, when contacted yesterday said that one of the reasons for the change is to provide proper tracking of the papers in the event that a candidate number should be written incorrectly.
Adding that there have been issues of this nature in the past, this change is a more efficient means that has been adapted, Sam stated.
“Administratively, it is to track students in the event that a candidate number would have been written in incorrectly, or any of those potential issues emerge.
“We’ve had issues like that in the past. This is a more efficient means that has been adapted; to provide proper tracking of the papers, has nothing to do with marking.
“So in the event for example, someone writes a six and it looks like a zero on the candidate number, without the name, we have no way of reconciling any issues in relation to those papers,” Sam said.
Manickchand has also raised concerns about the alleged path of secrecy taken by the Ministry to make these changes while adding that subjectivity and discrimination were most likely to derive from the local markings of these examination papers.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) later yesterday issued a release quoting the CEO, Olato Sam, stated that there is “nothing sinister” in the Ministry’s move to change the format of the NGSA.
Sam told the media that the officers of the Ministry of Education are professionals that “do not get themselves involved in sinister and secretive processes.”
Sam explained that in changing the format of the examination, the Ministry consulted the premier assessment entity in the region, (which is the Caribbean Examinations Council).
GINA stated that Sam told media operatives that the Ministry adopted the new format and measures because “they are more efficient and will be more effective in preserving the integrity of our assessment in Guyana and that is our primary concern.”
“It is not my place to get involved in any of the other things, but I can assure all of the public that our assessment process is going to be conducted with the standards and the expectations, that are not just local, but are regional,” Sam was quoted by GINA.
“We have certainly ensured that all of the expectations that are actually enshrined in the assessment processes that have international standards are now being brought to bear on the local process,” he added.
The Ministry is currently crafting a broad-based response to public concerns raised over the new format for the examination. This is in addition to a press release that the Ministry would have already sent out outlining clearly, that the new requirements are administrative functions that will in no way affect the marking process of the examinations.
The release stated that the each of the four subjects written in the National Grade Six Assessment has two papers (Paper 1 and Paper 2) and as it relates to candidate information, the two papers require different sets of information.
For paper one, the answer sheets will have the candidate information—candidate name and identification number—already printed or ‘pre-slugged’.
“The candidates are required to write/sign their names as a mechanism to ensure that the candidate for whom the paper was prepared is actually the one who answers the questions.   This will have no implications for marking, because these answer sheets are all marked electronically,” the release stated.
With the paper two, the cover page of the answer sheet is “bifurcated and perforated”.  The Test Code, Subject, and Candidate Number are required on both sides.
The Test Code and Subject will already be printed, while candidates will be required to write in their Candidate Number—this information is provided for them on the timetables given to every candidate.
In addition, on the right half of the paper only, candidates are also required to write in the name of their school, their full name, date of birth and gender.
The right side of the sheets are all detached prior to the commencement of the marking of paper two and retained for administrative purposes only.
The information that would be evident during the marking process would be the Test Code, Subject, and Candidate Number only.
“These are administrative mechanisms that will have no bearing on the marking process whatsoever,” the release concluded.