-highlights government’s provision of vital resources to 2025 cohort

DESPITE a seven percentage point decline in Mathematics for the region in 2024, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand has conveyed a message of optimism to parents, teachers, and the students who will be writing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics Paper Two examination today.

The minister expressed her satisfaction with the Government of Guyana’s proactive approach to the troubling trend, which involved providing schools with essential resources to improve student performance.

In a video posted on the Ministry of Education’s Facebook page, the minister said, “As you know, last year we didn’t do that great as a region in mathematics. We dropped by seven percentage points. [However], the good news is that Guyana did not wait on the Caribbean to come up with a solution. Guyana immediately kicked into gear and tried to provide you with the resources that will allow you to do better.

“We gave every single child all the textbooks that they need…past [examination] papers organised by topics with answers for paper one-type questions and for paper two.”

Minister Manickchand further stated that students were provided with essential tools such as calculators and geometry and programming on the Guyana Learning Channel.

She also added that the government provided monitors to schools to guarantee that teachers were effectively teaching and were able to complete the syllabus on schedule.

The minister also used the opportunity to offer words of encouragement to the hundreds of students who will be writing the exam today.

“[Today], you will take the exams, and I want you to go in there with the confidence that you’re more prepared than any other child in Guyana has ever been. Remove any fear of mathematics out of your head, out of your mind, and go in there [knowing] that you are prepared to conquer these exams, and you will do just that,” she said.

Additionally, Minister Manickchand encouraged every child to tackle each question, as there are opportunities to earn marks and to apply their best efforts.

She extended her best wishes to everyone and expressed gratitude to the teachers, the secondary sectors, and the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) team for their openness to the training provided by the Ministry of Education and their dedication to the students, particularly in mathematics.

Mathematics Paper One will be written on June 6.