Roraima Readers, a new series of books for nursery-age children will be introduced in schools across Guyana come next year, following a successful pilot of the educational material.
Speaking at her end-of-year press conference at Cara Lodge yesterday, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand also announced the implementation of the changed age requirement for nursery school entrance. She said too that locally written text books would be produced, which would increase access to books by students and that the Grades 4 and 5 Social Studies and Science syllabuses would be reviewed.
The Roraima Readers, a new series of 6 books covering the nursery curriculum, was piloted beginning in September this year, and work materials for nursery schools will be introduced into schools for assessment.
The minister stated that the reviews of the pilot project were excellent. “The reviews led us to believe that the product is excellent,” Manickchand said, adding, “we are constantly reviewing, but, given what we have learnt so far, we believe that this is something with minor adjustment that we will be introducing in 2014 all across the nursery system.”
A significant benefit of the project, according to Manickchand, is that it will save the ministry the trouble of acquiring foreign printed texts at incredible costs.
Meanwhile, she noted that the age for entering nursery school was changed and will be implemented from next year. Previously, a child had to be three years old by March 31 of the year he/she would enter nursery school. From 2014, a child will have to be three years old by June of the year he/she would enter nursery school.
Currently, according to the minister, 85% of nursery-age children are enrolled in nursery schools and the adjustment in the required age of entry will see an increase in the enrolled numbers. She projected that there would be an increase of just under 3,000 nursery-age children entering the formal school system, while noting that in Guyana nursery education is not compulsory.
Meanwhile, the minister said, the ministry had conducted a study that attempted to assess what primary students know as far as the literacy standards are concerned. According to the minister, tests were created across grades and administered to determine where students are, with regard to the international literacy standards.
Manickchand pointed out, that the study was one of the first studies to be done to address the issue of literacy. The results of the study are currently being written up and will be published sometime next year, according to Manickchand. These results, she added will be used as an indicator of how students are performing.
Additionally, Manickchand said that the Grades 4 and 5 Social Studies and Science syllabuses are under review. Mancikchand declared that the review is in response to concerns expressed by parents and teachers, as well as students that a second look should be taken at these subjects. According to Manickchand, concern was specifically raised about the relevance of some topics in the syllabuses. She cited as examples the make-up of parliament and the allocation of seats in the Social Studies syllabus, and deep studies of the eye and the heart in the Science syllabus.
“We are looking at how we can make sure that we do not take away from our curriculum what other children in the region are learning in theirs,” she said, while noting the ministry will ensure during the review process that it continues to meet the needs of age appropriate learning in the classroom.
