– MOE to release, today, public health protocols for exams

THE Ministry of Education has set the dates for Guyana’s National Grade Six
Assessment (NGSA) as July 1 and 2, 2020 following the release of official timetables from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

The NGSA is used to place primary school pupils into secondary schools and is based on the National Grade Six syllabus for the four core subjects: Mathematics, English Language, Science and Social Studies.

Customarily, each subject consists of two papers: Paper 1 – Multiple Choice Items and Paper 2 – Essay Item. The exams, which were to be held on April 8 and 9, were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in May, however, the Ministry of Education pinpointed July as the set month for the exams.

These exams will be written using the paper-based modality which means that pupils will be required to attend school on the said dates.

“The official Examination Order will be Gazetted and published tomorrow, June 3,
2020. This order will address the public health protocols to be implemented for these
examinations,” the Education Ministry said in a media release on Tuesday.

While some parents are supportive of the July timeline, others are not, including the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) which expressed concerns about the psychological effect the period (away from the classroom) could have on the children. GTU President, Mark Lyte, had stated that the combination of fear of contraction of the virus and possible nervousness heading into the exams may not be good for some pupils.

The GTU had recommended that the exams be pushed to October. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Education has indicated that it has a plan in place for the safety of children and teachers during the examinations. It will soon be engaging stakeholders further to address any additional or specific concerns.