The Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, has announced that the National Grade Six Assessment 2021 will be administered to Grade Six students in August.
The Grade Six exams are usually held in April but because of the COVID-19 pandemic they were postponed last year to July 1st and 2nd.
Manickchand during a press conference yesterday explained that following consultations with stakeholders, the Ministry has decided that the exam will be administered with Papers 1 and 2, but testing will be done up to Grade Five material on August 4, 2021 and August 5, 2021. She explained that options including using the Grades Two and Four results to place students and writing of only Paper 1, were considered along with many others before the final decision was made. In addition, those parents who wish to exercise their option of having their children sit out the exam, will have to subscribe to the ministry’s policy on placement. This means that using the regional average, a child who does not write the examination for one reason or another, will be placed at a secondary school chosen by the ministry.
Manickchand informed that a curriculum has been extracted from the usual 40 weeks but assured that the methodology and content taught will remain the same. She noted that the curriculum was crafted by experts from the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) and consultants. In view of the prevailing circumstances, the minister said that the ministry will be more supportive this year as compared to any year before and that the teachers and students will receive support in the form of training for teachers, and the provision of resources. She however acknowledged that this may not be the only assistance needed at this time.
While the schools might not be reopened to the Grade Six students ahead of the Assessment unless further advised by the Ministry of Health, the Minister disclosed that students will receive a care package from the ministry which will contain learning material to better prepare them for the sitting of the exam. This package will contain text books for the core subjects and systems will be put in place to have these books returned following the examinations. Also, considering that some parents may not be able to make time to uplift the packages, all the resources that are not copyright protected will be made available on the Ministry of Education’s website for students and parents to access at www.education.gov.gy. Revisions will also be aired in the evening on the Guyana Learning Channel. Meanwhile teachers will be trained immediately to prepare students to write the NGSA. A mock exam will be administered before the exam is written.
Manickchand also addressed the sitting of the exam for private school candidates. She said that these students have the option of opting out since some private schools offer examinations which the Ministry of Education does not control. She also said from consultations she has held with private schools, she is aware that these private candidates are prepared to sit the exam should they wish to. She mentioned that they have been engaged in at-home learning before the MoE began its blended approach in September, 2020.
