Dear Editor,
I write to add my voice to the many that have expressed dismay and concern about our Ministry of Education’s incomprehensible plan to have our young Grade 6 students return to school before sitting the National Grade Six Assessment examination in the midst of one of the most deadly pandemics of all time.
We continue to identify new cases of COVID-19 in Guyana. At this time, we need to support our teachers, many of whom are dedicated to their profession and to their students but are being instructed by the Ministry to engage in actions that could jeopardize their lives and those of their family members. No one deserves to be placed in such a position of danger. There must be a better and safer way.
We need only to look to our close neighbour, Trinidad and Tobago, a country in which the COVID-19 virus is certainly under better control than in Guyana. Yet, Trinidad & Tobago has not rushed to hold their equivalent examination (the Secondary Entrance Assessment or SEA). T&T has instead decided to hold this examination on 20th August, 2020 and have their examination level students return to classes on 20th July. 2020 so as to allow students to “adequately prepare for the assessment.” A statement from the T&T Ministry of Education also indicates that students will be provided with psychological and emotional support ahead of the resumption of school. Trinidad & Tobago expects to re-open schools for the next term sometime in late October, 2020. Now this sounds to me like a Ministry that is placing the welfare of its country’s most precious assets—its teachers and students—at the forefront of its decisions, as it should. Contrast this with the uncaring and cavalier approach by our own Ministry of Education and its mad rush to roll out the NGSA come what may.
While there are differences in the NGSA and SEA, there must be options that would allow a later and safer sitting of the NGSA that would still allow the next school term to start before January, 2021.
The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has been supporting our teachers and has put forth some alternatives that could address these concerns. I join the calls for the Ministry of Education to give more meaningful consideration to the GTU’s proposals and collaborate in coming up with a safer and more caring approach to the NGSA. The health and safety of our nation’s students, teachers and families lie in our Ministry of Education’s hands. May the decision- makers there be divinely inspired to change course.
Yours faithfully,
Karim Paul
