The Story within the Story…Education in Guyana…There is nothing to smile about yet

Jul 02, 2017 News

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By Leonard Gildarie

On Friday last, as has become the norm every year, thousands of anxious children (over 13,000

students wrote the exams in April) and their parents waited with fingers crossed for the results of the National Grade Six Assessments (NGSA). There would have been tears of happiness in many, disappointment with some, and resignation with others. It is the way it is.
For the parents that do care, the performance of their children is a matter of pride and achievement, and even legacies.
This year, we have much to celebrate. But I say hold off busting out those glasses. We have a long way to go. The system remains broken, with my biggest fear being the future of the schools in the hinterland regions.
We have to examine some statistics thrown up by our education officials this year to get a sense of what is happening.
The top 29 students for NGSA came from Georgetown, other areas in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) and Region Three (West Demerara).
Of the 29 top students in the country, 17 of them come from Georgetown schools and four from other areas in Region Four. That meant that Region Four alone accounted for the top 72 percent.
So there we have it – two regions alone dominated the top 29 students.
We have some other ways of looking at it. Of the top 29 students, 20 came from privately-run schools. There was, however, some very good news in terms of the results.
According to Kaieteur News yesterday, while in 2016, the Ministry of Education recorded a 14 percent pass rate in Mathematics, this year the result is an astounding 46 percent.
Both Minister Nicolette Henry and Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, have credited the improvement to a deliberate intervention by Government via the Emergency Mathematical Intervention Plan. This plan entailed a number of things, including training for teachers in content and methodology. Over 1,000 teachers were trained. This strategic movement also entailed fortnightly cluster meetings in all regions. These were with both public and private schools, according to Hutson.
There was also recruitment of Mathematics coordinators and monitors, training of officers and School Administrators to supervise the teaching of Mathematics and the administering of a diagnostic assessment of pupils in the hinterland regions, prior to the training of teachers.
English has also shown some notable improvement this year when compared to 2016. According to Minister Henry, in 2016 the pass rate was 42 percent, but this year it has mounted to 54 percent. “This is the first time in many years that we were able to get over 50 percent passes in a subject area, and that is absolutely phenomenal,” Minister Henry boasted.
In the area of Science, in 2016 there was a 28 per cent pass rate and again the 2017 performance has reflected an improved pass rate of 46 percent. And then in the area of Social Studies, this year the pass rate, though slightly improved, is 48 percent, up from 46 percent in 2016. These are highly encouraging signs.
Education accounts for a huge chunk of the national budget – $43.1 B, or 17.2 percent.
This is by no means chump change. However, we would be fooling ourselves if we look at the stats in isolation. Much work has to be done in the outlying regions. I am disappointed that Berbice did not feature in the top 29.
I keep a close eye on the public schools, as my children are part of the system.
The authorities will have to continue assessments of the teaching methodology and determine where the weaknesses lie. Is it that all the good teachers are migrating to private schools? Are we doing enough to keep our older, more experienced teachers?
I recall hearing of plans to ask our teachers to remain in the system after retirement age. Maybe closer attention should be paid to this strategy.
The hinterland regions are faced with major challenges. Some of the schools are remote, with no access to internet connectivity. Teachers are sometimes former students who use teaching as a stepping stone.
There is a greater role for regional officials to step up. This is where the Ministry of Education will have to be stern. There should be a fair distribution of resources to regions. Our programmes to connect schools with internet will have to be fast-tracked and remain a priority. More training will have to feature.
While Government will have to balance where exactly to place resources, the injection of more teachers would not be a bad idea. Some countries around the world, especially the Dutch ones, have been successfully experimenting with after-school programmes where homework assistance and other remedial things are done to bridge the gap.
We do have many single parents, in especially the Demerara area, who simply have little time for their kids.
At a higher level, the completion of CSEC is seen as a major step by students for their entry into the workplace. We do really need to fix this by introducing programmes that help these students transition to working life.
Technical and other vocational courses will work, but schools need to play a greater role in counselling its students on the realities of the working world.
The workplace has changed considerably over the last 20 years. Smartphones and the internet have influenced the way we trade and do business. Yet, and I can speak from experience, the readiness…the maturity…of students for the workplace leaves a lot to be desired. We even have persons with degrees who are unable to deal with the demands of the workplace.
Guyana and the rest of the world will recall, all too clearly, the promises of US President Donald Trump last year on the campaign trail. He kept referring to more attention to the inner city. Many were laughing. Even the media did not take him seriously. There was deep shock when a brash-talking billionaire rocked the boat and said the things many were feeling. He made it to the White House.
We cannot forget the importance of the inner city folks…and the outlying areas.
We have to hold our regional officials responsible. The days of just existing should be put behind us. Every appointment should be granted on the basis that it is not a party thing…That appointment has to be performance-based. You don’t deliver or see an improvement, we rotate you. Nothing is permanent.
I would love to see schools with auditoriums, basketball courts, functioning libraries, clean washrooms and vibrant Parent/Teacher Associations. We can dream.

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