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‘Children are not reading enough’
– Education Minister
Interventions have already been set in motion by the Education Ministry to address the low pass rate of some subject areas such as Mathematics, which was observed when the results of the General Certificate Examination (GCE), the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination (CSEC), and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) were unveiled last week.
According to Education Minister, Shaik Baksh, although there has been an improvement in Mathematics, the pass rate remains below the 50 per cent.
The Minister also expressed concern at the significant decline in English Language and Literature, which he said is indicative that children are not reading enough.
He speculated that more children today are spending most of their time viewing television shows and playing computer games, thus not much reading is done.
As such, the Minister said that his Ministry is urging parents to encourage their children to embrace the fundamental practice of reading in order to support the school system in its endeavours.
The Minister pointed out that the Ministry is already doing its part to encourage reading among children.
“Only last week we distributed five million books…So the Ministry is taking a very serious view of this and we now have in the school libraries in all the regions of Guyana very good books.”
He disclosed that the Ministry had some time ago resuscitated all school libraries and had appointed a Coordinator of Libraries in a bid to support reading in the school system.
Additionally, he said that an in-service and distance certificate programme has been streamlined for teachers of English and Mathematics.
And, according to Minister Baksh, over 200 teachers in each subject area have been enrolled and will therefore undergo a developmental process which will provide them with the necessary skills and tools to be more versed in terms of their teaching content and methodology.
The programme, the Minister anticipates, will bear fruit in the coming year, and will continue to be a method of developing quality teachers in the sector.
The Minister divulged, too, that it is expected that the programme will also be extended to the Science stream shortly.
“We will continue to train our teachers and upgrade them in these core areas. We will commence – from September or October – a distance certificate programme for teachers of Science and we have other interventions to promote Science Education in our schools.”
According to the Minister, a Coordinator of Science Education was recently appointed, whose task it will be to promote an improved method for teaching Science in schools, with a view of motivating students to perform better, hence, enhanced results.
He, however, reported that the ongoing Innovative Radio Intervention programme in schools is paying dividends to some extent, based on the kinds of results that have been unfolding.
Notable improvement in the sector is being complemented by the Distance Modules in English and Mathematics for students in grades seven to 11, the Minister added.
“The programme is being shown on the television and this is to supplement what is taking place in the school system. We will also have modules in Science and Information Technology during the course of this year…”
The Minister said that while parents will be able to procure these modules for their children at a cost, schools will be supplied with them at no charge.
– And while the Ministry will continue to do every thing possible to boost the level of education in public schools, the Minister said that he cannot overemphasise the role of parents in helping to improve the knowledge levels of their children.
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