With the closure of schools extended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ministry of Education on Sunday announced options for students to learn from home.
In a statement, the ministry directed parents and guardians to visit the Ministry of Education’s website at https://bit.39Y698S to access National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Practice Test Papers in the four core areas (English, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics) and online study textbooks.
Additionally, textbooks and other learning material can be accessed on the Ministry’s website: Nursery Text Books (https://bit.ly/2ROjOIv), Primary Text Books (https://bit.ly/2wTXHZQ), and Secondary Text Books (https://bit.ly/3eFBJdY).
Parents and guardians are also advised to let their children tune in to televised broadcasts on the Guyana Learning Channel (Chanel 42/ Cable 29) for Nursery (6.00 hours to 9.00 hours), Primary (9.00 hours to 12.00 hours), and Secondary-level programmes (13.00 hours to 15.00 hours).
Parents are also advised to take advantage of the interactive radio instructions on NCN Radio for grades one to three: Grade One (from 9.30 hours to 10.00 hours), Grade Two (from 10.30 hours to 11.00 hours), and Grade Three (from 13.00 hours to 13.30 hours).
These are also aired on the Mahdia, Bartica, Essequibo, Mabaruma, Lethem and Annai radio stations.
According to the statement, the NGSA past papers will be available in the Tuesday and Thursday editions of the Guyana Chronicle newspaper.
Some additional educational websites were also recommended: Khan Academy, Fun Fonix, Starfall, Oxford Owl, Study Jams, Math Games, Brain Central and the Learn-ing Hub.
The statement also announced that at the secondary and tertiary levels, teachers are advised under the guidance of the Chief Education Officer (CEO), to engage students via zoom, skype and similar means.
It noted that the Technical Team at the ministry is continuously working to upgrade the support provided to teachers and students. In this regard, the ministry is in discussion with international development partners to establish additional e-learning platforms, including e-testing for students.
In communities with limited opportunities for e-learning platforms, such as the hinterland regions and selected rural communities, it said workbooks for learners have been provided. The ministry has also acquired and is distributing learning materials for special needs learners primarily at the nursery and primary levels.
The statement further added that the Ministry of Education’s leadership is currently working to ensure that it continues to provide the support and guidance for the successful implementation of its programmes.
‘Once you have access’
In wake of the ministry’s announcement, a primary-level school teacher from the East Coast, who has asked not to be named, welcomed the initiative although she admitted that she hadn’t gotten enough time to test it. “Once you have access to internet, it’s effective,” she said, while voicing concern about students who might not have internet access.
Additionally, the teacher reminded that some parents might not be equipped to work with their children. She further said that she would be in constant contact with her students to know how they are getting by using the websites.
Two Queen’s College students told Stabroek News that their teachers have reached out to them to do online classes and while one student has started her classes, the other said that her teachers are still setting up.
Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) student Rasheda Jeffrey said that she and fellow students have been having interactive online classes that she finds helpful but she reminded that not many students have the resources to take advantage of some of the options provided. Jeffrey said that even though she understands the circumstances, she is not very happy with the route chosen. “I’m uncomfortable and unhappy with the improvisations the educational bodies are introducing. I do, however, understand that they have very little to work with, but I don’t think they have the students, who are the most important stakeholders, in their best interest,” she said. “As long as the measures we use to conduct the examinations are as fair as possible, then everybody should benefit from it,” she, however, added.
A Fourth Form student said that she is not happy with her current situation as she explained that she doesn’t think her colleagues are being fully prepared to do School Based Assessments (SBA) and later on, write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. Additionally, she said that there isn’t much focus on the classes that weren’t approaching major exams, like Fourth Formers.
North Georgetown student Ariel Manbodh said that she thinks the ministry’s initiative would allow students to complete the curriculum despite the shutdown and help students to stay on track with their learning. However, her school has not started using the initiative, so she was unsure of its effectiveness. Reshonah Gordon, a Fifth Form student of St Stanislaus College, is also awaiting word from her teachers. She also said that she is unhappy with all the uncertainty regarding her CSEC exams.
