At school’s graduation ceremony…
– teachers to go the extra mile
SCHOOL is not only about acquiring knowledge but honing one’s creativity as well through communication and reading, which combined attributes have the potential of seeing Guyanese youth becoming well-rounded individuals. These were the sentiments expressed by Education Minister, Mr. Shaik Baksh, while delivering the feature address at the closing exercise of the Dharmic Rama Krishna School for the August holidays.

Graduating Grade Six students of the Dharmic Rama Krishna School play their hearts out for the audience at their graduation ceremony yesterday

The event was a mix of formality and informality, as along with charges and addresses to the graduates, there was also a cultural presentation in the form of songs and instrumentals, among other activities.

Besides Ms Khajal Parasnath, who placed sixth in the entire country at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations, the Dharmic Rama Krishna School also produced 10 students who secured places at top secondary schools.

Tall and erudite looking, Khajal said though she had a high expectation of doing well, being among the country’s top 10 performers at the exam was a total surprise.

But then, she credited her performance to the unwavering support of her parents, her teachers, and above all, the Creator.

Dharmic Rama Krishna School top student, Khajal Parasnath receiving her trophy from Education Minister, Mr. Shaik Baksh. (Photos by Adrian Narine)

Both she and her brother, Arudranath, who is 10 months her junior, are among the 31 students from the Dharmic Rama Krishna School who wrote the NGSA examinations this year.

According to Khajal, she did not have to study strenuously for the examination, thanks to her heeding the advice of her dedicated teachers that one needs to be disciplined and balanced if one is to succeed in life.

Minister Baksh lauded this dedication shown by Khajal’s teachers to their charges, and said that while there may be many challenges facing the education sector in Guyana, “teachers committed to their tasks” is what is needed to help surmount those obstacles.

“We need teachers who will go the extra mile; teachers who will make time not only for the faster learning students, but give their attention to the slower learners too.”

The minister said the involvement of parents was also key to the success of their children as a collaborative effort that engenders keen interest, commitment and dedication is the only way to get good results; that the only way forward was for all efforts to be exerted in the interest of improving the Education Sector.

Noting that Guyana is among the first countries to have achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) that stipulates universal access to primary education, Minister Baksh said several measures have been taken by his Ministry to continue on the path it has begun to facilitate quality education for the Guyanese population.

Among those measures, he said, are:
* The development of an Education Strategic Plan which aims for the achievement of high goals;

* The finalisation of the draft Education Legislation;
* The development of a Reform Agenda for schools that will ensure that weaknesses in the system are dealt with, along with the strict accountability requirements that will see “heads of schools being demoted” for non performance; and

* The implementation of several changes in the system for the new school year.

These changes include:
* The introduction of a literacy certificate which will be a mandatory requirement for sitting the NGSA tests;

* Structural changes in 40 secondary schools, that will see them offering the sixth form programme;
* The introduction of an eight-subject limit for students sitting the CXC examinations, with the only exception being for students whose performance are above 75 per cent at the National Grade Nine Assessment exams; and
* Regulated offering of lessons where institutions wishing to give extra lessons will need to obtain a permit form the ministry.
Minister Baksh affirmed that there can never be an over-exaggeration of the importance of education to the children, society and, by extension, Guyana.