Dear Editor,
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate those who did well in their exams. Stabroek News’ online report `Grade Six results still poor in key areas’ (SN online, 4th July 2019) highlights the fact mathematics fared better while there were failings in the “other” subjects. As I see it the real problem is not the “other” subjects per se. The very fact that Guyanese are not educated to a higher standard of English is the reason for the failings in “other” subjects as you need a good grounding in English to understand the “other” subjects. Most text books in Guyana are written in English.
You can cherish your Creolese dialect if you want but Guyanese need to be educated at a higher standard in English to pass the “other” subjects. It would be unwise to ask someone fluent in Creolese to write Social Studies exams in English unless they are fluent in English. Hence, the failings in the “other” subjects. I am not against Creolese; I am against using valuable resources to promote Creolese when these resources can be better utilized to promote a higher standard of English so that pupils can pass the “other” subjects.
For those who did not do so well, the fault is not yours. It is the educational system in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Sean Ori
