Manickchand eyes 20 % increase in Mathematics passes in 3 months

Dec 16, 2011 News

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With a newly introduced outlook, the Ministry of Education, with its recently appointed Minister,

Ms. Priya Manickchand, is aiming at reversing the dwindling pass rate in the area of Mathematics within the next five months.  In fact, the new Minister is optimistic that the subject area could reflect, at the minimum, a 20 percent improvement within the stipulate period. “Can we do this? Yes we can! Why? Because we are going to make sure you (teachers) and all the children have all the resources you need to be able to do this,” Manickchand passionately asserted.
The Minister’s ambitious objective was unveiled yesterday even as she addressed a gathering of key officials, who will be a part of a strategic pilot project which is aimed at optimizing students’ performance in the area of Mathematics and English at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level.
The forum, which was convened at the National Centre for Resource Development (NCERD), saw the Minister amplifying the importance of the project. She pointed out in brief remarks that while the Education Sector has seen large investments from the Government, the corresponding results have not been forthcoming, particularly in the core subject areas of Mathematics and English. “This is one of the biggest Ministries in terms of the resources that are plugged into the Ministry, but the result has not been proportionate to the investments made…the problem with that is very simple, if our children can’t matriculate with Maths and English then it means they are going to be a lot of doors that are closed to them; in the job area and the further education area and we need to make sure that that changes.”
Just over 30 schools have been identified to participate in the project, among them: Abram’s Zuil, Anna Regina and Aurora (Region Two); West Demerara, Zeeburg, Patentia, Leonora, Stewartville (Region Three); Annandale, Covent Garden, Bladen Hall, Hope (Region Four); East Ruimveldt, Christ Church, North Georgetown, Central, Brickdam, North Ruimveldt, Richard Ishmael (Georgetown), Bushlot, Mahaicony, Bygeval, Woodly Park Primary Tops (Region Five); J. C. Chandisingh, Tagore Memorial, , New Amsterdam Multilateral, Berbice High, Skeldon LinePath  (Region Six); Three Miles (Region Seven), Dormitory at St. Ignatius (Region Nine), McKenzie High, Christianburg and Silver City (Region 10).
In addition to having trained Mathematics teachers, the schools were chosen based on the fact that their results were good enough both last year and this year and are therefore deemed to have a foundations which can foster the objectives of the ambitious project.  Just over 4,000 students are being targeted, Manickchand noted, even as she explained that the strategic move is expected to see students writing the CSEC examination next year reflecting the anticipated results. Each student, she said, will be provided with the CXC General Maths Book I and II, the Self-Study Guide for CXC, the collection of revision DVDs, the combined pass papers from 2008 to 2011, Model Solutions to difficult answers, Combined Solution for everything in addition to a geometry set and graph paper and a scientific calculator. “If we focus on these students a little bit more over the next five months, they are going to be able to pass Mathematics and English.”

Teachers on the other hand will each be provided with individual syllabus and a collection of the package so that they will be able to effectively work with each child.
The Minister speculated that the existing low Mathematics grades may very well be linked to the confidence level of the country as a whole.  She observed though that this dilemma is not unique to Guyana as it is very evident the Region over.  “Some of us feel almost beaten because we do so poorly in the area (and ) some of us who stop to recognize that it is not Guyana alone use it as an excuse that ‘Oh! Is not we alone, it is everybody doing bad and so it is alright for us to do badly’…I am saying we don’t have to do badly.”
However, despite the evident poor performance rate, Manickchand said that the Ministry has recognized that there is capacity within the system to help foster improved performance, thus the introduction of the strategic project at this juncture. The expected results can be achieved, the Minister noted, “if for the next five months, we stick to the programme of Mathematics and English. Of course accompanying the other subjects our children are writing, with the resources we are willing to give you, we could see a 20 per cent increase in the national pass mark…”

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