One of the factors that contribute to Grade 6 examination failure

Nov 13, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) over the years and at present is being written in the months of March or April which is the second term of the school year. This is one major factor contributing to the failure of our children in the Grade six classes throughout our country. It is impossible for a teacher in the Grade six class to deliver the entire curriculum for five (5) hours a day in 7-8 months time. This is why teachers are forced to keep extra lessons and give their precious time to those children. These grade six teachers can be home at 14:45 hrs like every other teacher yet they gave their time without any extra money added to their salaries and are being criticized for such act. Why then are the officials from the Ministry of Education against extra lessons? A curriculum is so designed and planned with work for the various levels for an entire school year. Why is it that work planned for the entire year should be delivered in less time? In my humble opinion, this policy needs to be revamped. All the other National
Examinations are written in the August term during the month of June. Why is the National Grade six assessment the only exception? The time is too limited to deliver the curriculum in its entirety during normal working hours. Therefore, it should be written in the month of June so that the teachers can have adequate time to prepare these pupils for this assessment. One of the reasons given by the officials for the early writing of this examination is that adequate time is needed to mark the scripts. I don’t see this as a valid reason. CSEC is written in the months of May and June and the results are ready by the end of August and this is a Caribbean examination. The fact is, NGSA is done in Guyana only.
Aren’t we capable of marking scripts and analyzing data in a shorter time? Also, when these pupils write the NGSA in the second term of the school year most of them don’t make attendances for the final term and we as educators would place emphasis on the importance of attending school regularly yet, our system is designed in such a way that pupils stay away from school. I wish to emphasize, should this examination be written in the final term of the school year teachers would have adequate time to effectively deliver the curriculum and at the same time children would attend school regularly. I know for a fact that this change is not possible for next year since the dates for the examination are already fixed. However, it can be changed for the year 2017. I humbly request those in authority to look into this issue and have that policy revisited.
Concerned Teacher (name supplied)

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One of the factors that contribute to Grade 6 examination failure

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