By Karen Abrams
The recent results deriving from the NGSA examinations in the disciplines of Mathematics and Science over several years raises important questions that should be answered about the state of our preparedness to adequately respond to the human resource requirements of the twenty first century. As these disciplines (Mathematics and Science) become increasingly relevant to the growth and development of Guyana in the period ahead we could find itself becoming increasingly dependent on looking elsewhere for skills that have a foundation in these disciplines.
Going forward, what Guyana needs, is a cadre of innovators who are equipped to serve as the lead innovators in the shaping of the key industries that will serve as the ‘engine of growth’ for the country’s economy and its development as a whole. Effective innovation cannot occur in the absence of a significantly enhanced proficiency in Mathematics and Science. These disciplines, incidentally, cannot only be effectively absorbed in an environment where the potential recipients are grounded in literacy.
The results that accrue from the country’s key primary and secondary school examinations tell us, without doubt, that only a relative handful of our young people are demonstrating an acceptable level of proficiency. These are concerns that we ignore at our peril.
The 21st century will be largely defined by what is referred to as the 4th industrial revolution, the term commonly used to describe the barely visible boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. It a fusion of advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, genetic engineering, quantum computing, and other technologies. The 21st century will see a further reduction of jobs which will be transitioned to machines and artificial intelligence. The development of most industries, even in developing countries, will require a different skills’ sets from those being taught in most K-12 (Kinder-garten to Secondary) and University systems today.
If today’s students are to play a role in the development of the 21st century economy they must, of necessity, become proficient in what one might describe are core subjects, Mathematics, Science and Technology. To these should be added a high level of skill in areas in disciplines such as innovation, communication, collaboration, conflict resolution and creativity, -skills that enable a ‘fitting in’ at many, perhaps most 21st century workplaces. Possession of these skills and aptitudes are often the key reasons for employee recruitment and retention.
Contemporary K-12 (Kindergarten to 12th Grade) school systems are challenged with the task of educating young people many of whom are often raised in an environment of technology—screens, games, colors, videos and stimulation outside of the classroom. These days, many students find traditional education uninspiring on account of the delivery culture of teaching by rote.
In order to develop the creative and innovative skills needed in the 21st century work environment schools must not only revisit their traditional curricula but must address the methodology for delivery. Students must be encouraged to research, analyze and determine solutions in group settings. Educators must pursue integrating lessons for core subjects like Science, Mathematics and English with Technology and the Arts in order to help students absorb the subject matter and improve their learning outcomes.
Finally, educators will have to consider using technology to customize education assessment and personal improvement plans for each child, in order that, at the individual level, so that each child will incrementally understand their academic strengths and weakness over a continual period and be in possession of a plan for improvement, rather than having to wait until the end of a school term or assessment period for feedback.
““Innovative organizations like STEMGuyana contribute to the improvement of education outcomes for Guyanese children because we are able to move relatively quickly to design, test, analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of integrated programs to determine how these programmes impact students’ academic outcomes. More recently, we have moved to integrate our technology programmes with core academic subjects because we find that we are able to more effectively engage students. STEM Guyana has implemented an automated assessment programme which quickly informs Parents, Teachers and Club Leaders about their students and weaknesses. STEM-Guyana will continue to integrate and evaluate these findings into all of our programmes. In order to qualitatively enhance the local technology education space”
Karen Abrams, MBA, is the Director of STEM Guyana
