NCERD continuing curricula review for better delivery

THE review of curricula, at all levels of the Education sector, will continue and will see improvements in the delivery this year, Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Mr. Mohandatt Goolsarran said.

He said a workshop has been organised at the levels nursery, primary and secondary schools, with specialists offering training in methodology and content.

Goolsarran said, in 2009, regional strategies were developed by specialists, who went to the different education districts and met with clusters of teachers with the objective of developing their skills to deliver the curriculum.

“We recognise this as a priority. For example, at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) level, poor performance was recorded and teachers responsible for the results have started a rigorous one year upgrade programme,” he informed.

According to him, the second phase of the undertaking continues, with teachers refocusing on content.

Goolsarran said, at the primary level, priority is restructuring curriculum for grade six as it is thought to be too “top heavy.”

He said, a comparison of Guyana’s education system with other Caribbean territories, revealed that, locally, the demands are too much from grade six students.

Consequently, Goolsarran said a review the curriculum that is offered at the four core areas, Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies, has started.

“It is the consensus that the Science and Social Studies are too heavy. So, a team of teachers, under the guidance of teacher educators, are scaling down the curriculum,” he explained.

Goolsarran announced that the resulting changes will be effective in 2011, giving teachers adequate time to make the necessary adjustments.

MATHEMATICS
He said, in relation to Mathematics, a core subject at the primary level, an interactive radio instruction (IRI) programme is available for grades one, two and three.

Goolsarran said, to ensure continuity of the programme, a revision of the grades four, five and six Mathematics syllabus has been done.

“We want to make sure that what the children learn in the first three grades is in sync with the last three,” he stated.

Goolsarran said, in addition to ongoing training, teachers are also involved in developing curriculum guides and other support materials to strengthen the delivery.

However, he said formal classroom instruction will remain the format of delivering in the latter three primary grades, as opposed to the interactive radio sessions in the first three.

“The radio instruction will stop at grade three and it will ensure that we have a common foundation for delivery of the curriculum across the board.

“For education districts that do not have access to radio, the IRI sessions are available on DVDs,” Goolsarran said.

He said, at the foundation level, emphasis is being placed on continuous teacher training, also with the ultimate goal being better education.

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