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OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

Aug 27, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

There is much excitement in the country of this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination, as teachers and parents celebrate the outstanding performances of students. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to every student and to all involved in the preparations of the students for the exams.
All Guyanese should be proud of the success of the students, especially 16-year-old Michael Bhopaul of Queens College who obtained 24 grade ones in the CSEC exams and several other students.
The success of the students should be celebrated by all, especially after several years of disastrous results in mathematics and science. This year’s results have shown some major improvements with an overall pass rate of 63.8 percent in grades one to three compared to less than 50 percent last year and previous years. This year’s results also reflect outstanding performances by students in several subject areas including Chemistry and Industrial Technology, among others.
While Mathematics and Agriculture Science have reflected a slight improvement this year, there are eleven subject areas with a lower percentage of passes compared to last year’s performance. They include English, Biology, Physics, Social Studies and many other non-science subjects, which suggest that much more needed to be done in order to improve the pass rate in the sciences.
It must be emphasized that the students have made their schools and country proud by their exemplary performance, now it is up to their parents to make sure that they further their education
Given the overall performance in this year’s CSEC examination, no one should be blamed for those whose performance were below par, because our educational system that was inherited from Britain is too ineffective to transition and educate our youths. It is based on standardized tests which rank and compare students. Our educators ought to know that the prominence of tests as an integral part of our school system shows there is something fundamentally wrong with it. It perpetuates the culture whereby students who are categorized as bright are often given special treatment, and those who are viewed as being “dunce” are oftentimes ignored by some teachers, thus making it difficult for them to improve.
It is baffling that after more than 50 years of political independence, how little has changed in the education system. And while our students are beating the odds and are performing well, it is time for the Ministry of Education to make real changes to the education system in order for it to become relevant to the needs of the country and the modern era.
While there have been some improvements to the education system, they have fallen short of the requirements to help students when they leave high school. Fewer than 50 percent of students will achieve the minimum standards to matriculate into university.
Without the ability of students to master the higher orders of cognitive functioning, we will not be able to achieve some of the lofty national development goals we have set for ourselves. From the time children enter the school system, their creativity and sense of innovation are discouraged; they are made to simply absorb and regurgitate information. This is how they are being tested and the test scores are used to rank or segregate them to perpetuate the social status quo.
Our school curriculum must be focused on human development, the needs of the country and to produce graduates who can add value to society. It must provide them with the skills, knowledge and competencies to navigate an uncertain future. It should foster in all students the strong sense of justice, the supremacy of human rights and social responsibility to create a better Guyana. Our education should be no different from other countries.

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