THERE has been a noted improvement in the overall performance of students at the CSEC examinations with observation that unpopular regions have been contributing to the advancement of excellent results.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said the June 2010 results have demonstrated a sustained improvement in the education sector over the more recent years.
At his post-Cabinet press briefing last Thursday, Dr Luncheon said the CSEC results have been judged to be better than those in previous years and note has been taken of the particular areas of strategic concern where such improvements have been demonstrated.
The Education Ministry, Dr Luncheon said, has pointed to equity as a good indicator of improvement with the heightened incidence of performances spread out by geographic profile of Guyana.
This is the end of the period when good performance was a feature of just a few regions and particularly few schools but there is now greater evidence that schools in other regions are also contributing to the improvement in success.
The regional comparison with sister CARICOM countries continues to hold optimism of maintaining the kind of profile in those areas of performance that often have been used to judge how well a state education sector is performing, Dr Luncheon noted.
“Minister Baksh has been unrelenting in formulating and implementing strategies to improve those outcomes and has sought to encourage Cabinet to look into the future expectantly as those fundamental initiatives, such as improving literacy and numeracy, are implemented,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
He added that the Education Ministry has highlighted curriculum development and the delivery of the curriculum as strategic areas to target and has made teachers’ performances and school management critical areas in the assessment and monitoring of outcomes in the education system.
“With the sustained commitment and monetary support from central government, Minister Baksh has pledged to continue all-round improvement in the outcomes of the education sector. His contention is that teacher improvement is the key to sustaining these results,” Dr Luncheon disclosed.
The results show that general and technical proficiencies for grades one to three have improved to 66.2% while grades one to four saw an 85.2% pass rate.
Excellent performances were recorded in 14 subject areas with grades one to three passes exceeding 75%.
There were also excellent performances in 21 subjects with grades one to four passes exceeding 90%. (GINA)