THE recent release of the Caribbean Secondary School Examination results has, once again, provided Caribbean countries with an opportunity to assess the region’s education sector. A concerning trend across the Caribbean has been the poor performance in mathematics, with the Barbados-based Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) reporting that only 36 per cent of students across the region received passing grades for mathematics at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), a seven-percentage point decrease compared to last year.

According to the CXC results, Guyana recorded a Mathematics pass rate of 31 per cent this year, compared to 34 per cent in 2023. Guyana’s President, Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali, views this as a major problem, not just for Guyana but for CARICOM as well. Consequently, he is urging other Heads of State to discuss the issue on an international scale and bring visibility to the topic. Meanwhile, the Government of Guyana continues to make significant investments in the nation’s teachers and implement substantial changes in the education sector.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Yarrowkabra Secondary School on Thursday last, President Ali addressed the nation’s education challenges. He shared that Guyana is not the only country paying close attention to the poor mathematics performance and its potential impact. The President mentioned that Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, recently informed him of her intention to present mathematics statistics at the next CARICOM summit, scheduled for February 2025 in Bridgetown, as she believes the region is facing a crisis in mathematics education.

According to the President, this increasingly important topic has been added to the agenda of the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government.
As President Ali explained, “The issue of mathematics has now captured the attention of every single Head of State and Prime Minister in the region, and it is now an agenda item for the heads of government in Guyana. That is to tell you the issues and challenges that we face. It is not a Jamaica issue, Barbados issue, Trinidad, or a Guyana issue. It has now become a collective issue that we must address.”

Meanwhile, Guyana is launching a plan to develop the sector. As stated by the President on Thursday, he has ordered additional corrective measures to be implemented nationwide.
“Here in Guyana, we have to be innovative. I believe that we have to look at how varied scenarios have affected our results in mathematics, so I’ve asked the Minister of Education not to wait on the Heads of Government for us to do some introspection, and to look globally at what is available as tools, to help us to overcome this challenge. There are some important tools that we can utilise instantaneously, and that is why we are investing,” President Ali said.

This focus on improved implementation of mathematics is why the government continues to invest in teachers and schools – the two most vital parts of the education sector. As reported by the Ministry of Education, there are currently 26 secondary schools being built around the country, with many of them slated to be state-of-the-art facilities that will replace ‘primary tops.’

As the President highlighted, more investments are being made in teacher education. He shared, “We are investing in our teachers. We are investing in having high-quality teachers, and we are seeing that more teachers are becoming graduates, graduate teachers having first degrees, master’s degrees, and even PhDs.

He further emphasised the impact of initiatives like the GOAL scholarship programme, as more teachers continue to take advantage of them. “And I think we have to applaud our teachers. They are making use of the opportunities, registering for the GOAL Scholarship Programme, and participating in all of our facilities and programmes that we are investing in to make them better at what they do,” he said.

The President reinforced the fact that Guyana is taking a step-by-step approach to the education sector, addressing challenges with creativity and innovation, and crafting a state-of-the-art education system that will continue to develop.

Citing the importance of educational facilities like the Yarrowkabra Secondary School, the Head of State said, “As we continue to invest, as we continue to build these facilities, as we continue to look at the comprehensive life cycle of our teachers, our education system, and our students, we will make the necessary changes, bring in innovation, add creativity, and enhance the system so that the end product will continue to improve.”