The Ministry of Education (MoE) yesterday announced a deadline for the release of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results and hinted at actions that might be taken to continue educating as the coronavirus continues to spread around the country.
In a press release, the MoE announced that the results of the NGSA will be out either on or before September 25. The Ministry also sent out press statements which said that with the reopening date for schools being unknown due to the current status of COVID-19 cases, the Education Ministry is hoping to use other alternatives in the meantime. One of those alternatives is the Guyana Learning Channel, which was launched by former President and current Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo. The learning channel’s role will be to deliver content in collaboration with various agencies, for nursery year one through to grade 11.
The statements said that this was among some of the topics discussed yesterday when the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand met with the Guyana Teachers’ Union, the National Centre for Educational Resource Development, and the Distance Education Information Unit, to discuss steps to be taken for the safe and proper delivery of education to students at this time.
The Minister told this newspaper that her ministry and all the stakeholders involved intend to use whatever means are accessible for the safe and reliable delivery of work to children in the entire country.
During a telephone call on Monday evening, the minister said “It has been a rigorous couple [of] days trying to get some content,” adding that she has been meeting with as many stakeholders as she can to make the decision on what should be the next step for getting information across to students so they can continue their educational journey, which she emphasised is very important.
While the minister is currently collaborating with stakeholders to create the most suitable plan for education to be provided to students, she said that currently, teachers are doing their part by reaching out to students via telephone and online apps, but the Ministry is working to get a plan into action that will benefit all. However, while the decision is a very important one, Manickchand says she still has to get as much input as possible from all who are involved before a system can be decided on.
Schools have been closed for over four months and were only permitted to be opened for the sitting of the National Grade Six Assessment and the Caribbean Examinations Council’s examinations. Those exams were written in July.
