MORE than 16,000 pupils wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) this year. While much attention is often placed on the high flyers, and deservedly so, this year, I found myself thinking more and more about the maybe 15,800 children who weren’t recognised as top performers, and who might be feeling some pressure at such a young age.

Let me say immediately that there must be better ways of assessing children and nurturing their skills, talents, and interests than grading their academic performance in four subject areas.

I can’t imagine the possible psychological harm children can experience at this time. Yes, some children can be motivated by academic excellence, but some would not be. Some children can excel in these four subject areas, but others learn differently, and may be interested in different things.

Consider, too, that some children may be experiencing different challenges at different periods. A child who seemed to be performing well throughout primary school could experience some challenges ahead of the assessment. And the nuances can go on and on.

I don’t believe that the long-standing, rigid focus on grading and ranking children based on how they perform in an assessment of four subject areas is particularly fair. It might be a standardised structure that allows for a practical assessment of children’s academic development, but practical doesn’t mean fair or equitable.

So, revisiting this system of assessing children and placing them in schools might benefit more than one child.

Last year, there was much conversation following reports that the NGSA could be eliminated as the Ministry of Education moves to make all secondary schools equal. What that simply means is that no matter the school a child is placed into, the same resources (trained teachers, technology and other nice things conducive to learning) would be supplied. Those are all expected to allow each learner to get an equal chance at success.

Again, this year, the Education Minister repeated this. To her credit, it does appear as though this is being pursued with the focus on guaranteeing that all teachers in the local education system will be trained in the next few years, and providing the same educational resources (textbooks and worksheets, for example) to all learners.

But I believe there’s more to consider.

Since that conversation intensified last year, it has evolved and integrated other considerations. These include a greater focus on technical and vocational competency, and on providing opportunities for children to excel in other areas.

It has been said that all secondary school students in Guyana could have job-ready, technical, and vocational skills and certification by the time they complete their studies, as the Ministry of Education is pushing for a greater focus on more technical and vocational training.

Last month, it was reported that Guyana’s education authorities plan to introduce the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), a Caribbean technical and vocational certification from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), in another 34 secondary schools. This effort is expected to target about 2,000 students.

Once introduced, students would continue to focus on their academics, but that would be balanced with the acquisition of technical skills that make them more job-ready. Seeming, a win-win.

Then, there are the children interested in sports and the arts.

During a recent visit to Suriname, I went to a school that focuses primarily on honing children’s creative talents (in dance and music, specifically) while still guaranteeing that they were proficient in the core academic areas. There, all of the children attend dance and music classes daily, and are allowed to attend more classes in the field they want to specialise in.

Surely, we must begin exploring similar ideas here in Guyana, instead of relying only on honing children’s talents and passions during their extra-curricular time.

These might not be initiatives that can be pursued readily, because of how entrenched the existing system is, but it is worth exploring, given the changing dynamics in our society. It is well ventilated and widely accepted that there is a dearth of much-needed technical competencies, at the very least. And there is a growing need for more institutional support for children interested in sports and the creative arts.

As such, I hope that we can continue talking about the system we perpetuate each year, and think about practical ways of improving it in the best interest of children everywhere.

If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com