…Baksh outlines measures to improve students, teachers performance
EDUCATION Minister, Shaik Baksh, has expressed disappointment with the poor attendance of schoolchildren in Region One (Barima/Waini).
A release from the ministry said, consequently, greater attention will be paid to addressing the problem, including the prosecution of negligent parents.
The release said, although the Region has a high level of attendance by teachers at the nursery, primary and secondary levels, the average rate of children attending classes at the latter two is below 70 per cent.
Mr. Baksh said that trend cannot continue, as it will, undoubtedly, affect the achievement of the goals and quality of the imperative benchmarks of the 2008-2013 Education Strategic Plan (ESP).
He pointed out that, during the past three years, there have been major improvements in the sector at all levels to both bolster children’s performance and build teachers’ capacity.
Baksh said, at the primary level, the Ministry has instituted a number of measures, including the Grade Four Literacy Certificate and completed diagnostic reviews of the grades two and four assessments, to ensure more effective delivery and better students’ performance in those classes, while the grade six assessment is also being evaluated to correct any existing weaknesses.
He said a six-year programme was introduced in secondary schools, with the aim of transforming low achievers from the primary to secondary school level and the Secondary Competency Certificate Programme (SCCP) was initiated to stem school dropouts, by offering an alternative pathway for students who are not desirous of entering the academic oriented streams.
Special attention
In addition, the five lowest performing primary and secondary schools in every Region are being given special attention by the Ministry. With the aim of reversing their poor performance, continuous remediation in Mathematics and English, at both primary and secondary schools, has been institutionalised, along with the hosting of numerous workshops to maintain a disciplined school environment and improve students’ learning outcomes in the key subject areas, notable Mathematics and English, among a few of the developments.
This year, the national average of students who obtained passes in grades one to three at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations was 69 per cent, an achievement above the benchmark of 65 per cent set out in the ESP, the release said.
It added that students also recorded a 59 per cent pass rate, counting grades one to three in English, which was also above the ESP target.
The release said, in spite of this, Baksh declared that his ministry is not satisfied with the Mathematics and English results from CSEC and wants to see improvements at those examinations next year, as well as at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).
The release said, in the area of teacher training and development, an associate degree in education was inaugurated at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), this year; a series of continuous professional development programmes for teachers was started and numerous workshops hosted to better their management and supervision skills and effectively deliver the curriculum.
Baksh said those developments are aimed at modernising the sector, improving the performance of both teachers and students and are in keeping with the goals and objectives of the ESP.
He explained that part of the education reform included the decentralisation of the system and noted that, while his ministry remains very concerned about infrastructural matters, such as the need for furniture and repairs to buildings in the various Regions, these fall under the purview of the Local Government Ministry and are dealt with by it.
Positive change
Baksh said the Education Ministry works along with the Local Government Ministry to address those problems and he emphasised that plans and policies are in place to bring about positive change in the Ministry, with all subject to periodic reviews to build on existing merits and correct weaknesses.
However, he said it has not been smooth sailing, because some people are resistant to change and certain sections of the media have taken on the role of detractors.
Baksh said those individuals, some parents among them, seem not to have the interest of children at heart and, as Minister, he makes no apologies for crafting a system that will prevent repeated failures by students.
He expressed the view that students learning outcomes will only get better if parents begin to closely monitor their performance at school and headteachers become accountable for that of every child at their respective schools.
Baksh said the failure of headteachers in this regard represents a defeat of the purpose of the many workshops and seminars held for them to improve their performance as school managers.
He said that, apart from the need for parents to send their children to school, teachers need to, faithfully, deliver the curriculum in the classroom and all headteachers must make sure that is the order of the day.
Baksh said, too, that his ministry has adopted a culture of monitoring and evaluating and education managers must play their part in identifying and correcting weaknesses in the system and programmes in a timely manner, because, at the end of the day, stakeholders want to see value for money.