By Tajeram Mohabir
INTERIM Vice-Chancellor of University of Guyana (UG), Professor Lawrence Carrington has expressed concern over the quality of output from the secondary school system.

Speaking at a recent media briefing, in the Education Lecture Theatre (ELT) at the Turkeyen Campus, Greater Georgetown, he said more has to be done at that level to produce students of university material.

The quality of secondary school graduates studying at UG has, for some time, been an issue and Carrington proposed that, perhaps, the tertiary institution should play a more active role in addressing some of challenges at the secondary level.

He said the entry requirement for UG will be addressed but it would not be looked at separately.

Carrington said it will be dealt with in the university’s curriculum review, which will speak to the goals of reshaping it to be a more vibrant 21st century place of higher learning.

“The university is anxious to establish systems of quality assurance that will enhance its standards, increase its international standing and make its graduates more valuable.

“To that end, we have entered into collaboration with the University of the West Indies which has had more experience in that area,” he disclosed.

Education Minister Shaik Baksh acknowledged the problem of secondary students’ performance at a recent forum and revealed that his ministry is working closely with teachers to improve their delivery, as well.

He said, too, that attention is being given to all subject areas, particularly the core subjects.

According to Baksh, his Ministry is hoping, in the next five years, to triple the number of students writing science subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

He said the aim is to improve English passes in grades one to three, from the current 40 per cent to 50 per cent and, in Mathematics, from 23 per cent to 40 per cent.

Apart from these projections, the minister said all secondary schools and 50 per cent of primary schools countrywide should be equipped with information technology (IT) laboratories in the same time period.