– NGSA pupils and parents say

THE positive spirit amongst pupils and parents was real on Wednesday morning, as they travelled to school to sit the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) amid this COVID-19 pandemic.

The NGSA examinations are considered to be a stepping stone for Guyanese children, as they say goodbye to their primary school days and enter into a new era of learning and growth. The results of the examination determine which secondary school the child will attend in the new school term and every child is, most times, vying for a spot at the top secondary schools in the country.

This year came as one that is unique to all the years prior, given all that has been happening in the country. However, the positive feedback shows that the political and health crisis have not fazed the country’s children.

The Guyana chronicle journeyed along the East Bank of Demerara and the East Coast corridor and spoke to a number of pupils, parents and teachers who were in high spirits as they made their way to schools for the first two examinations.

Rohani Narine from the West Coast, travelled to Eccles Primary with her daughter. She said that she is confident that her daughter will do well, “because as a parent, I did a lot in home studies with her from the time she was at home. At least I’m satisfied.”
“I ready,” little Anglina Singh of Eccles Primary said. “It was very tough preparing for these exams, because it was hard to focus with all that was happening, and all the news, but my grandmother and family helped me study a lot, and now I’m aiming for Queen’s College and I will be a cardiologist,” she further added.

Oprah Ann Hinds of Peter’s Hall Primary said she’s not scared at all “because I’m fully prepared for this exam. The study period was challenging because I had to wake up like sometimes in the middle of the night to study, and that was hard. But I will come out victorious in the end, and will secure a spot at Queens College or any of the top five schools.”

Arthur Joseph of Success Elementary walked in fully clad in protective gears, with his eyes set on Queens College. He said he has aspirations of becoming an engineer, and is confident he’ll do well in his exams to start his journey to his career.

A parent who has a child at New Diamond Primary shouted in front the school “We got this! No COVID shall prosper. Our children will do well.”

Miss Bibi, a teacher and parent attached to the Enmore/Hope primary school stated that she is not only concerned about her child but also about her other pupils who she taught during the pandemic; nevertheless she added that she is confident that the pupils will persevere and be successful in the end.

“As a parent and as a teacher, it has been really difficult, because for children this is their first [big] examination and more or less it is an examination that determines their future and, so to speak, children need that reassurance that teachers and parents would be around but parents aren’t allowed to stick around,” the teacher stated.

She added that amid the anxieties of the actual examination, pupils are still faced with grasping the reality of what a pandemic is and what is going around them.

Another parent, David Chung stated that, “I am feeling confident and likewise the children should feel the same; reason being they had more time on hand due to the [pandemic]to do a little bit more studying; they had three months additional grace period that they could development themselves.”

Meanwhile, Arlene Gardener was in high spirits as she preached manifestations of positivity for the children of Guyana as they made their way to schools.

“COVID ain’t got nothing on these children, because I know, and I trust god that they will make it; the COVID is only here to bring people to conciseness,” the woman exclaimed.
Another parent, who gave her name as Miss Lowes, noted that her son had been working extremely hard and is aiming for a spot at Presidents College on the East Coast of Demerara. The woman related that she was a bit skeptical since the pupils only had a short time to revise what they would have learned with their teachers.

The woman further noted that by all means necessary she made sure that her son was receiving the best tutoring he could get during the time he was at home, “some of the children didn’t have the internet to get their lessons on ‘zoom’; my experience personally when his class teacher started the zoom lessons I didn’t had internet, so I had to hurry and get the internet sorted out for him to join the zoom class; I could say I am one of the fortunate ones”.

Nicola Charles, who’s child attends the St. Andrews Primary, told the Guyana chronicle that she is confident in her son’s ability and, more so since he is in high spirits, “I’m quite confident with my son, he’s been working hard at home and he has been revising a lot, I mean it’s a challenge for the children because of the coronavirus, but we can just hope for the best and everything is in the hands of God”.

Meanwhile, another parent, who gave her name as Nickacey, admitted that she was nervous due to the fact that the cases were still climbing amid the re-opening of the schools and the days leading up to the examinations.

Nevertheless, she added that she is confident that the pupils who attend the St. Andrews Primary will do excellent since the teachers along with the headteacher had been working overtime during the pandemic to ensure that every child received tutoring.

Lloyd Bruce, another parent, whose son attends the Victoria Primary School, made sure that he schooled his child not only on his academics but also about the pandemic and the risks of not adhering to the guidelines, “I spoke to him and told him to wash his hands, protect you and others.”