The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will once again be postponed from being held in March/April.
Speaking at a virtual news conference on the phased reopening of schools, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said that there were many requests for face-to-face learning for the grade six students after the ministry announced that those at the secondary level who are due to write CXC examinations would be returning to schools this week. However, she said that given that the COVID-19 cases are still rising, the NGSA will be postponed. This year’s NGSA sittings were also postponed.
Manickchand explained that the NGSA is administered by the Ministry of Education and, therefore, can be adjusted as the ministry sees fit to ensure that the best results, which indicate the best placement for each student. She also said that the ministry is still considering the option of writing the paper one only or testing based on work up to the Grade Five level. This will be determined when the students return, she further noted.
Additionally, Manickchand said that the phased reopening will see nursery school children being the last batch to return to school and she does not anticipate that being anytime soon or in 2020. Manickchand also said that the ministry has not consulted enough to make pronouncements on the nursery cohort. She also noted that the ministry is currently relying on worksheets which are being picked up and then taken back to school for marking for the young children to continue learning.
The Ministry has thus far completed the printing of worksheets to cover work which would be taught from weeks 1 to 8 of the new school term. The worksheets are being printed for all levels. Manickchand said that worksheets for term two are in progress.
