Emergency training of Mathematics teachers in low performing secondary schools ended Friday at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).

This is part of the institution’s response to the poor performance at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) tests.

The training, a one week workshop, involving teachers from across the regions, is the second in a series of five, with the next scheduled for February, 2010.

Mathematics Curriculum Specialist, Mr. Joseph McKenzie, one of four facilitators for the Mathematics Workshop, stated that the aim of the undertaking is to have teachers upgraded with the expectation that they will pass along their knowledge to the students.

“The teachers are from schools where students obtained 10 per cent or less in the CSEC examinations. If we can raise the skills of the teachers who are delivering the curriculum, we can raise the performance of the students at the CSEC exams,” he said.

Mr. McKenzie explained that the methodology used for the upgrading process will see the facilitators taking the teachers through exercises that would be worked in class so that the teachers can be introduced to new strategies of delivering material.

He said, “After we are finished with the exercises, we are going to have a session where we will discuss and rework the exercises. The answers that we get will be used to develop model answers which we will share across the education system…We are able to not only develop model answers but share our knowledge of new methods of teaching.”

McKenzie added that education is “funny” since the results of inputs are seen long after the intervention or efforts are made.

“Our check of this intervention’s effectiveness will be the percentage passes at the next examination,” he asserted.

However, the specialist maintained that if higher percentage passes are not realised, efforts will continue as part of a larger initiative aimed at improving the standard of Mathematics in Guyana.

“We have been trying various strategies. Some may work and some may not, but one of our mandates at NCERD is to upgrade our teachers and so we will continue with new strategies,” he said.

According to McKenzie, if teachers’ skills are continuously upgraded, then the delivery of the curriculum will be enhanced thereby improving the quality of students being produced.

“Everything we do in life involves Mathematics. You cook, you do measurement, that is Mathematics, you go on the road to shop, some math is involved…Life is Mathematics,” he asserted.

Additionally, on the issue of the difficulties some students have with balancing Mathematics and English, McKenzie said it may have to do with the makeup of the individuals and their dispositions to the particular area of study.

However, he asserted that everyone has the capacity to learn Mathematics.

In this regard, the specialist said, teachers are trained to cater for slower learners, and the curriculum is geared for all learners.

McKenzie highlighted that apart from workshops, other support mechanisms include the radio programme, ‘Focus on CXC Mathematics’; compact discs that are available at NCERD which focus on Mathematics lessons; and resources made available to the schools through NCERD.

These, coupled with the dedication of teachers, advance the effective delivery of the curriculum.

Speaking of the dedication of the teachers, McKenzie lauded the same, stating that the teachers were willing to attend the workshop despite being on holiday.

A teacher from Linden Foundation Secondary, Ms. Alexis Billey, said the workshop was important since it helps teachers to enhance their capacity.

“If we engage in activities that build ourselves we build our students,” she posited.

Another, Mr. Karsan Sookdeo, from Charity Secondary School, said, “It is beneficial for us and in turn our students. We learn new strategies and it improves our delivery and the students’ performances.”

“We teach how we were taught. The workshop shows us different methods to deliver the syllabus,” said Ms. Shenilla Scott from Port Kaituma Secondary.

Ms. Lorna Persaud, from the Waramadong Secondary, reiterated this and added that the revisions are for the best.

Additionally, an English workshop of a similar nature, which also ended on Friday, was also held at NCERD.

One of its facilitators, Ms. Rajkumarie Singh, said teachers need to be motivated to be able to better deliver the curriculum.