– in celebration of Students in Transition

IN celebration of those students who are placed in ‘transition classes’, the Georgetown District of the Department of Education on Monday held its first ever exhibition at the New Campbellville Secondary School.

The exhibition was held under the theme, ‘Shaping Creative Minds for Future Generations’, where Ms. Donna Chapman, Training Manager of the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service, in her feature address commended the Department and its teachers for making a huge difference in the lives of the children, with their enthusiasm and passion.
“Today, I want to commend the Department and the teachers with ‘Transition Classes’ for their dedication and commitment to their students,” Ms. Chapman, a former Deputy Chief Education Officer, said. “You must be applauded for your efforts in making a huge difference in the lives of the children,” she added, as she encouraged the teachers and the Department to engage those students that are now in the ‘Secondary Programme’, after having passed through the ‘Transition Class’ so as to measure the impact of the programme.

She further advised that the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) programme of the Ministry of Education be included in the classroom. And, stressing the importance of young people learning life skills now, she said that both teachers and students have an important role to play in the development of Guyana, and that the exhibition is an opportunity for the sharing of ideas.

APPROPRIATELY THEMED

Ms. Chapman said that the theme chosen is appropriate, since the exhibition is happening at an important time in Guyana’s history. She urged teachers and students to use the event as a reminder that education is the appropriate tool to propel development.
Meanwhile, Ms. Acklima Pearce of the New Campbellville Secondary, who has been teaching ‘Transition Students’ for the past five years, explained to this newspaper that ‘Transition Classes’ target those students who were somewhat neglected at the Primary School level, or are a little slower than the other students.

“With this programme,” Ms. Pearce said, “the children who, somewhere along the line in the primary school, were either neglected or were slow developers, coming to the secondary school, they’re not placed in the normal Grade Seven; they’re placed in the ‘Transition Class’, where they will spend six years instead of five years. So, in the ‘Transition Class’ now, we teach them the basic subjects: Mathematics, English, Science, Social Studies, Reading, Phonics, and Comprehension. We do poetry; we do drama; we do music with them.”

As she went on to explain, the students are first given a pre-test, so as to help teachers identify their strong areas and their weak ones. She noted that she places her students in various groups, so they can work along with each other, and assist each other with their strong and weak areas.

Also in attendance at the exhibition was District Education Officer Mr. Sherwin Blackman, who related that the aim of the event is to showcase the work being done by students in the ‘Transition Class’ since they started in September 2019.
Noting also that the exhibition forms part of the programme of activities for the observation of the country’s Republic Anniversary, Blackman explained that those schools within the Georgetown District that conduct ‘Transition Classes’ are New Campbellville Secondary; Cummings Lodge Secondary; Houston Secondary; St. George’s High; Queenstown Secondary; Lodge Secondary; and Tucville Secondary.

SUCCESS STORIES

According to Mr. Blackman, the ‘Transition Programme’ has success its stories, whereby students have gone on to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and matriculated, meaning they would have passed five subjects or more.
He said that while many of the students in the programme are slow learners, they just need additional support to reach their potential and perform well. He said that the Ministry has been doing constant reviews of the programme, so that it can be strengthened.
During the exhibition, students and teachers will be exposed to what a child-friendly classroom is, containing the basic elements needed in any classroom, along with teaching aids.