-Minister Manickchand says creativity, dedication, communication also required

IN response to concerns regarding the poor Mathematics performance at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, Guyana’s Ministry of Education (MoE) on Tuesday launched an innovative Mathematics intervention programme.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand said that the programme will see 50 new monitors being placed in 50 secondary schools across the country to assess classroom challenges, global models, and teaching practices.

“We don’t care what you look like. We don’t care where you’re from. We don’t care how you voted. We don’t care how you pray. You must know Mathematics,” she emphasised during the launch which was held at Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).

Minister Manickchand noted that improving performance in this critical subject area requires creativity, dedication, and communication. She encouraged teachers to reach out to the ministry for support if needed.

Following the release of the 2024 CSEC results, Guyana, like the rest of the Caribbean, saw a decline in Mathematics grades. Guyana’s CSEC pass rate dropped to 31 per cent this year, compared to 34 per cent in 2023, while the rest of the Caribbean saw a seven percentage point decrease. This prompted an immediate response from the Government of Guyana, with President Dr. Irfaan Ali urging regional leaders to address the troubling issue.

In response, Guyana’s MoE took the necessary steps to formulate its own initiative to enhance Mathematics education. This is what was made public on Tuesday.

The programme targets students in Grades 10 and 11 in 50 schools nationwide, including remote parts of the country such as Region One. Retired teachers, math specialists, and university lecturers will serve as monitors.

Chief Education Officer, Saddam Hussain, emphasised the importance of these monitors, noting that they will also be held accountable.

“Math monitors, you are critical to this. When you go to the job, give it your all. Simple as that,” he said adding, “For the first time, maybe in this country’s history, teachers and schools will be held accountable for the results.”

Although the concept of using monitors isn’t new to Guyana, this initiative will have stricter guidelines to ensure long-term success.

Teachers are also expected to step up their Mathematics instruction.

RAISING THE PASS RATE

According to Minister Manickchand, the ministry aims to raise the pass rate to 40-50 per cent, with educators playing a crucial role in achieving this goal.

“If children can learn, then teaching can happen. Part of the issue if we are to examine this honestly, is what we’re teaching, how we’re teaching, and who we’re putting in to teach,” she stated.

Minister Manickchand also clarified that the project had been in the pipeline long before the release of the CXC results. “We can fix this, whatever the issue is. For us to have resources like textbooks, calculators, and past papers in place just weeks after the CXC announcement shows that this was in the works long before the results came out.”

She stressed that the ministry will provide significant resources, including textbooks, graph books, scientific calculators, and geometry sets. Additionally, in-service training, support from the new monitors, and other resources will be made available to help teachers. “We’ve set up a hotline, 736-MATH, where anyone can contact us if they have issues with teachers, if a school lacks a math teacher, or if the teacher needs help,” she said.

The minister used the opportunity to urge parents to be involved in their children’s education. “We can provide textbooks, cash grants, teachers, and monitors, but we can’t enter your homes. Turn off the CPL or the latest series and make your children watch Leon on the Learning Channel or YouTube. That’s your responsibility,” she said.

Several teachers and department heads expressed gratitude to the ministry and expressed optimism about the programme’s success.