Ideal teacher-student ratio is a work in progress

Apr 11, 2012 News

– ACEO (Primary)

Although the ideal delivery of primary education should allow for 15 students per teacher, this does not obtain in Guyana’s public education system. However, according to Assistant Chief Education Officer (Primary), Marcel Hudson, research has shown that one teacher to 35 students is a reasonable ratio in this country.

ACEO (Primary), Marcel Hudson

At the moment, Guyana has about 438 primary schools which have been adequately catering to between 85,000 and 90,000 pupils, Hudson said. Nonetheless, he has assured that, “the teacher-student ratio has always been a work in progress. We wish we could actually do, like some other societies, where we can have one teacher to about 15 children, but what we have is quite reasonable at the moment.”
In recognition of the fact that primary education is very important to the continued edification of a child, so much so that it helps to form an educational foundation, Hudson has revealed that continued efforts are being made to improve the delivery of primary education.
“It is like a building, and if you are going to build a structure and the foundation is not right, regardless of what you put upon it, it will collapse. So it is important, as a matter of fact it is compulsory, that all of our children have access to primary education, because of the foundational nature of this level of education,” Hudson emphasised.
Part of nurturing this foundational level, in an attempt to ensure that students do well, is the need for collaboration with parents, Hudson added. He pointed out that studies and research done the world over have shown that where parents are integrally involved in their children’s education, those children’s performances tend to improve.
“The literature is out there in every respect. It is overwhelming, and therefore it has been one of our campaigns at the Parent/Teacher Association meetings and seminars…it is important to show them the importance of their input in their children’s education, if they are to perform well and go on to do well in society.”
Just last week, some 18,000 primary school students participated in the National Grade Six Assessment, a move which comes as part of Guyana’s efforts to realise universal primary education, according to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand. The Minister added that all over the country children have access to primary education, and they are therefore able to readily participate in the NGSA.
“If we had to test our skills about being able to deliver across Guyana, it is through this exam (NGSA) that we would do it, because this is the stage (primary level) that is accessible all across Guyana.”
However, the Minister noted that the Ministry of Education is now faced with a challenge to ensure that the same number of students that participate in the 2012 NGSA will also be undertaking the Caribbean Secondary Certificate Education (CSEC) examination in the next five years. As a result, she revealed that the education sector is working “feverishly” to realise universal secondary education, an achievement which is expected to become a reality under the President Donald Ramotar regime.
It is the expectation of senior education officials that programmes that are in place will help to realise this vision. In commenting on the importance of the school feeding and uniform programmes, to which some $1 billion of this year’s budget have been directed, Hudson extended praises. He insisted that “we can’t run away from the fact that if children are not properly fed or are malnourished they cannot perform. I think the school feeding programme would have contributed to our children’s performance.”
In terms of the uniform system, which he described as very important, “there are lots of our parents who might not be financially affluent, and they in particular have been able to benefit from these programmes”.
“I have seen these programmes play a major role, particularly in areas where children have a habit of not coming to school,” Hudson noted even as he pointed out that “since the programme has started, and I say this without reservation, I have seen the numbers increase because of the fact that children are able to get something to eat. It will help them and motivate them to come to school.”