Minister of Education Priya Manickchand and senior ministry officials met with almost 500 teachers yesterday to discuss plans for next year’s Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams, including the support that would be offered to ensure the safety of both them and their students if schools are reopened.
The meeting, conducted via Zoom, saw teachers from schools in Georgetown and Region Three in attendance as the Ministry of Education began its engagement with those responsible for students sitting exams next year for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), which are administered by CXC.
Manickchand told the teachers that the engagement between CXC and the Ministry of Education has raised issues regarding how Guyana handles these two important examinations next year.
This preparation will include the completion of the syllabi and the School Based Assessments (SBAs). According to a press release issued by the ministry, this preparation may require the physical reopening of schools at some point just for the CSEC and CAPE students to benefit from face-to-face instruction and completion of SBAs. “Our purpose here is to make sure that we can help the students under our care to be the best version of themselves and that their futures are secure,” Manickchand was quoted as saying.
Against this background, the ministry has embarked on projects to properly prepare schools. These include the weeding of grass, installation of sinks, troughs and toilets with running water. Manickchand added that cleaners will be available and they along with the teachers and students will receive packages containing vitamins, masks, sanitisers and alcohol sprays to ensure that they remain safe during school hours.
The release also stated that the teachers would also be offered support as the ministry will not be using a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
SBA preparation and the issue of textbooks and attendance records were addressed by Assistant Chief Education Officer (Secondary) (ag) Ameer Ali and the Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development) Volika Jaikishun, respectively.
The release said that teachers made several suggestions for how students can be prepared for the examinations and under the most efficient and safest conditions. It added that during the course of the week, the ministry will be engaging with teachers and parents/guardians at the CSEC and CAPE levels from each region to discuss the examinations and way forward.
