MINISTER of Education Priya Manickchand has charged Grade Six teachers all across the country to individually assist their pupils in the areas where they are weakest, as they prepare for the 2022 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

Minister Manickchand and several senior Ministry of Education (MoE) officials, including Chief Education Officer Dr. Marcel Hutson, met virtually with the teachers on Monday.

During the meeting, the results of the 2021 NGSA were discussed. The ministry officials and the teachers also looked at ways of improving the performance of pupils writing the 2022 exams, a release from the Ministry of Education said.

“Think of each student, and devise a plan to assist each child, based on their weaknesses. Our aim is to ensure every secondary school child is prepared for secondary school. Please look at your children with a different eye, so that you can prepare your children to enjoy a better life in the future,” Manickchand is quoted as saying in the release.

The teachers were also asked to make a note of the students in their class who need textbooks, so that the items can be sourced and provided.
Manickchand thanked the teachers for the tremendous work that they have done over the past year, and also during the years prior, the statement said.

Monday’s meeting is expected to be the first of several that the minister plans to have with teachers, as the ministry works towards helping to prepare pupils to perform better through collaborative efforts.

The 2022 NGSA has already been set for July 6 and 7. However, the ministry has noted that the dates can change, pending any new development in the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been ongoing since early 2020.

Again, in 2022, the exam papers will be prepared covering topics only up to the Grade Five level, based on a consolidated curriculum.