Following the sitting of the NGSA, parents have said that they would like timely updates on the Education Ministry’s plans for the new school year.
The National Grade Six Assessment was written on July 1 and July 2 to allocate marks for students leaving primary school and transitioning to the secondary level of education. The marking and releasing of exam results is usually done by this time of the year but due to COVID-19, the exam was postponed.
While the circumstances are understandable, some parents who spoke with Stabroek News yesterday, are hoping that the Education Ministry will be more thoughtful when releasing the results and give parents some time to prepare for the new school year.
The parent of a Grade Six student, Ramona Latchman, of Wakenaam, Essequibo, said that while the Education Ministry rushed the sitting of the exam, she hopes they will not rush the marking. She noted that there is no deadline for when the results need to be released because the opening date for schools cannot be confirmed while active cases of COVID-19 are still uncontrolled in the country.
“Let them take their time and do what they have to do. Cause the exam done write and then school won’t be open for a while. So let them take their time and do what they have to do before they hurry and mark and give the children wrong thing,” Latchman said.
Latchman admitted that she was not happy with the exam being rushed to begin with but now that it has passed, she only hopes that the Ministry will consider restarting online classes or have work sheets sent out to different areas so children can continue learning while waiting for the situation to be better controlled and schools can reopen.
And as far as it goes for reopening schools, Latchman hopes the children will get the chance to catch up on work before diving straight into the new school term.
“I felt that they shouldn’t have had an exam in the first place, seeing that the coronavirus pandemic is raising in Guyana. I think that they should have wait until it got to a point where we know that it is stable and that it is going down. I think no student should have went into a classroom.”
Kimberly Graham, also of Wakenaam, disclosed that her daughter suffers from breathing problems and when she would complain about the wearing of the mask when she had to attend school, it was very difficult as a mother knowing that she could not help her daughter. “She said mommy, I’m having trouble breathing especially with the mask on. It was really difficult, as a mother or as a parent you would feel for your child,” she said, “there was practically nothing that could be done. I personally wanted her not to write the exam, but she was determined to. Being from Wakenaam she wants to go to Anna Regina Multilateral. So she said if she doesn’t write that exam she would not get a place to go there. They would give her maybe a ‘B’ grade school.”
Graham said that she would have preferred for her daughter to be at home where she would be comfortable and safe but her determined daughter had spent many nights studying for the exam. Her only hope is that she gets the results she has worked so hard for.
Graham, like Latchman, also wants the Education Ministry to initiate ways for students to stay focussed and continue to learn even though they are at home, “I’m in Wakenaam, a lot of parents don’t really know much and you would find some of them don’t really have a smart phone so I think the ministry should implement something,” Graham noted.
She said that she would also appreciate it if parents are given a heads-up and the ministry keeps the public notified of their plans concerning the schools. Especially since many persons will need to time to prepare and acquire all that is necessary for the reopening of school.
Another parent of a student who wrote the NGSA, Catty Nells, said “I was a bit nervous to be honest with you, because of COVID-19, I was nervous about how the schooling would turn out. When they implemented the online system where the teachers would send work and you know you would assist the kids, well that went on fine but you know you would find details you might not understand, so you need the teacher,” adding that she is anxiously awaiting the results. She also hopes that the Education Ministry informs the public of any plans which they may be working on and which will be of interest to both parents and students, as well as teachers.
After speaking with these parents, a teacher from Wakenaam declared that her main concern right now lies with the learning process for the new school year. She explained that she hopes the students will be able to attain enough information while at home so they are not behind on work when they enter the new classes.
Previously, the Education Ministry mentioned that the schools would be reopened in a phased manner and only after seeking permission from the Ministry of Public Health. In addition, the Chief Education Officer, Ingrid Trotman said during a webinar held in June, that there would be at least two weeks of revisions done when schools do open to ensure students complete the class syllabus.
