The Ministry of Education is working on a comprehensive long-term plan to ensure that no student is disenfranchised as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is yet to announce a date for the National Grade Six Assesment (NGSA).
Education officials, via a virtual interview, outlined that the ministry is working to ensure that all students can thrive through the challenges and continue learning while at home.
Director of the National Centre of Educational Resources Development (NCERD), Jennifer Cumberbatch said they were finalising a date for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations.
“We are considering several options because we don’t know what is happening down the line. Once we know when school is going to reopen, we are going to give our students, our parents and the public the specific date so that they will be prepared,” Cumberbatch added.
Assistant Technical Officer (Tertiary) Patrick Chinedu, explained that the ministry would implement sanitisation hubs and improved school policies.
“The ministry is drafting guidelines as to what would happen when school reopens so that we can maintain sanitary conditions…pretty soon there might be a policy that guides the Ministry forward as to how we should behave in schools,” Chinedu opined.
Additionally, he noted that the ministry already has school safety policies that would have to be tailored for pandemics and other natural disasters and occurrences so that all schools could be prepared for such circumstances.
As part of the ministry’s crisis management team, Chief Planning Officer Nicola Johnson said that the use of smart classrooms and e-testing platforms would become a regular feature in the long term.
“We have started to establish smart classrooms even before, and so we will be expanding on that initiative to establish more smart classrooms and possibly e-testing centres across the country. We’re already in the process of acquiring the software to help not just students but teachers and education officers to use because this will be a new normal for us,” she remarked.
Public schools countrywide have been sanitised, and the ministry continues to provide daily learning opportunities for nursery, primary and secondary school students.
NGSA practice test papers are available on the ministry’s website at www.education.gov.gy
Radio broadcasts of the Interactive Radio Instruction continue daily on NCN Radio and Radio Mahdia, Bartica, Essequibo, Mabaruma, Lethem and Radio Paiwomak.
Students and parents can also tune into the Guyana Learning Channel (Channel 42/Cable 29) to access the following programmes:
Nursery Programme – 06:00hrs – 09:00hrsPrimary Programmes – 09:00hrs – 12:00hrsDocumentaries – 12:00hrs – 13:00hrsSecondary Programmes – 13:00hrs – 15:00hrs
(from the Department of Public Information)
