One hundred students as well as several teachers will evaluate programmes on the recently launched Guyana Learning Channel over two weeks following which they will report their observations to the Feedback Monitoring Unit.
Feedback rather than criticism is the way forward in improving the operation and as a result, the Unit has been established to monitor res-ponses from stakeholders and to implement changes where necessary, Minister of Edu-cation, Shaik Baksh has said.
A press release from the Education Ministry said that Baksh was speaking at a handing-over ceremony at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) and he said the initiative is in keeping with the evaluation culture which the Ministry has adopted. This is geared to ensure all principal stakeholders receive optimal benefit from programmes offered by the ministry, he said.
The release pointed out that the Minister’s remarks followed statements by People’s National Congress Reform Parliamentarian, Cheryl Sampson, at a recent press briefing. It said that though pleased with Simpson’s appreciation of the value of the Learning Channel in raising the standard of education delivery in Guyana, it noted a few inaccuracies in her presentation.
The statement said that contrary to Sampson’s claim, all senior managers of the Education Ministry were briefed on the project and they are also part of a committee to develop educational programmes for television. The aims and objectives of the programming continue to be the dissemination of educational learning material for all ages, starting from pre-school to adult lifelong learners in both academic and non-academic areas utilizing “edutaining” formats. The programming, in addition, serves to address key social and other issues.
Further, the release said, Opposition Leader, Robert Corbin never asked Baksh for a project profile of the Channel to be laid before the National Assembly for scrutiny. “What he did request from the Minister Baksh was an assurance that the television will not be used for political purposes and this assurance was given by President Bharrat Jagdeo at the launching of the Channel”, it said.
Additionally, the Ministry declared, the assertion by Sampson that camera persons from the channel visited schools and videotaped teachers while teaching without prior permission, was an “outright fabrication.” The teachers have been consulted well in advance in the preparation of programmes for television, the release said.
It pointed out that all Mathematics programmes are recorded in the television studios by teachers who receive content developed by NCERD’s content experts over the last two years. This is comprised of over 60 programmes at Grades Seven, Eight, Nine and 10. Also, a science curriculum originally developed by science instructors more than a year ago, was presented by them in their own classrooms after they completed successful camera tests in the studios.
Meanwhile, school highlights are recorded in the schools and this is scheduled weeks or days in advance. Nursery school children were recorded singing their ABC in their school yard and teachers happily cooperated with full knowledge that the students will appear on television, the Ministry said. “They even showed us the TV in their classroom through which they will show the children programmes at story time”, the release added.
It said that based on feedback from students, teachers and parents, programmes are repeated so that all students will have the opportunity to view content that they have missed during the school period or after school lessons.
“The Learning Channel is producing and acquiring content based on curriculum guides/content for all grade levels”, the release said adding that production is slow as officials are trying to apply appropriate learning theories in the editing and presentation formats. The channel has not yet attempted to broadcast according to the school’s timetable but intends to do so at least by September when it will need to broadcast sequentially and not just the basic and general topics currently focused on.
The Ministry said that the Learning Channel is not a replacement for the classroom but complements and supports the content of the curriculum during school hours so that teachers can enjoy direct access and a re-broadcast after hours so that children could view it at home.
