– As Ministry analyses Mock CSEC Exam results

Within a matter of months the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination (CSEC) is scheduled to be undertaken and drastic improvements are anticipated given the visionary move by Education Minister, Ms. Priya Manickchand, to direct more teaching efforts into the areas of Maths and English.

But while the task was entrusted into the hands of teachers to better their teaching capabilities, having been equipped with the necessary tools, Minister Manickchand has asserted that the onus is not only on teachers to help realize improvements at the upcoming examination. “What do we expect of our students? We expect you at this time to be disciplined; we expect you to understand that you should to be putting all of your attention and focus into your school work…particularly in the subject areas of Maths and English but do not neglect the other subjects.”
“It has to be a focused thing…if you’re accustomed to watching television shows up to about two hours in the night you have to decide that you’re going to cut that out. Your parents can’t do it for you, the government can’t do it for you and certainly the teachers can’t do it for you…You have to make this choice.”

The Minister pointed out that the ability to choose a profession be it a doctor, lawyer, accountant, teacher, policeman or even a home maker, can only be had if students are able to pass their subjects.
“Without an education your life is going to be hard, people are going to feel they can do you what they want, treat you how they want, you’ll have no choices and you will have to stay where you are because you did not get the grades you were looking for…So you have to decide what kind of life you are looking for,” the Minister warned.

According to the Minister, Students must recognize their role even as she pointed to the fact that parents have been playing their part as well by making sacrifices in some instances just to put food on the table.

According to Chief Education Officer, Mr. Olato Sam, although the pilot programme to improve Maths and English at CSEC started with just about 30 schools, a few others have since requested to join, bringing the total to 36.  The introduction of the ambitious programme, he noted, has channeled heightened awareness which has generated greater general interest on the part of students, teachers and parents.  He related that the Ministry has been conducting a number of workshops and efforts were recently made to conduct an entire CSEC mock examination to ascertain the efficacy of the programme.

According to Sam the result of that examination is still being analyzed but “things are going according to plan…we are going to continue to monitor things but we expect to get the desired results.”
The improvement programme is being dubbed a four-prong partnership involving teachers, students, parents and the government. Earlier this year, Government approved an $85.7 M contract for the procurement of items to boost students’ learning. These included CXC General Maths Book I and II, the Self-Study Guide for CXC, the collection of revision DVDs, the combined pass papers from 2008 to 2011, Model Solutions to difficult answers, Combined Solution for everything in addition to a geometry set, graph paper and a scientific calculator which have been distributed to the participating schools.

Each student has been provided with the procured materials and teachers have been provided with individual syllabuses and a collection of the package to allow them to effectively work with each student.
Minister Manickchand, upon assuming office last year, sought to amplify the need for urgent improvement in the subject areas of English and Mathematics countrywide. The latter mentioned subject area saw a significant decline reflective in a below 35 per cent pass rate last year, thus suggesting that there is a need for even more attention, according to the Minister. She speculated that the existing low mathematics grades may very well be linked to the fact that the confidence level of the country as a whole may be equally low and observed that this dilemma is not unique to Guyana as it is very evident the Region over.

“Some of us feel almost beaten because we do so poorly in the area (Maths) and some of us who stop to recognize that it is not Guyana alone, use it as an excuse that, ‘Oh! Is not we alone! Is everybody doing badly and so it is alright for us to do badly’…I am saying we don’t have to do badly.”

However, despite the evident poor performance rate, Manickchand said that the Ministry has recognized that there is capacity within the system to help foster improved performance thus the introduction of the strategic programme.

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2012/02/25/students%E2%80%99-role-to-help-realize-improvement-at-csec-being-amplified/
.

New Minister of Education Priya Manickchand has said that she has heard enough grumbling about the ‘No child left behind’ policy to persuade her that there should be a countrywide consultation about the policy and whether it should remain in the school system.

“I am not going… to answer you now to say whether or not we are going to keep it in place; what I can say is that we will be consulting widely across the country about how people feel about it and whether it should be something that stays in place,” the minister told the Sunday Stabroekin a recent interview.

In the past the policy has come under strong criticism from many quarters, with some labelling it “harmful and useless,” but according to Minister Manickchand from what she has been told, her predecessor, Minister Shaik Baksh, had the full support of his technical staff in the implementation of the programme. “All the bigwigs in           education seemed to have supported it,” the minister told the SundayStabroek.

In late 2010 Cleveland Thomas, the headmaster of Wismar/Christianburg Secondary School was taken to task when he refused to promote children who had not passed their exams, in defiance of the ‘No child left behind’ policy. Many parents, students and teachers had rallied behind him.

He subsequently said that given the abundance of resource material in the schools, and with the adherence to the guidelines, a large percentage of students should be moving through the system. Stabroek News had reported him also as telling the media that the needs of every child in the class had to be assessed and certain remediation “effected to bring them up to a certain level.” This, he had emphasized, was the responsibility of the school.

‘Harmful and useless’

On the other hand Minister Manickchand said that even before she became the education minister persons had complained to her about the policy, and since her appointment to head the country’s education system in every place she has gone one or more persons without fail asked her about the programme.

“[They] claimed that it was harmful and useless and so on, and while I have heard and read the policy that was put in place, and there is some merit about why it was put in place, we cannot fail to hear what the recipients of this policy are saying, [those] being teachers, students and parents,” the minister said.

But Manickchand went on to say she was not sure that a proper evaluation was done to ascertain whether the policy had or had not produced results.

“But I know we can’t fail to hear what people are saying…” the minister conceded.

“I have heard my staff, senior policy-making staff who say it is working and that it is necessary, and I am hearing from others that say it is not, and I never like to make decisions without hearing from all stakeholders, so we would be doing that shortly.”

‘Unacceptable’

Meanwhile, the minister has sounded a warning that she is not going to accept schools not being in a proper condition to accommodate students at the beginning of a school term.

In the past every time a new school term begins there have been complaints from parents around the country about the readiness of the school and in some cases, for example, Golden Grove School last term, parents and students protest and close the doors of the school concerned.

“We should not be weeding school yards on the morning of school opening,” the minister said.

“If you have a school in a region that is not capable of opening or it doesn’t have furniture it means that a lot of people in that regional system fell down on what they were supposed to do, and that is not something I am prepared to tolerate,” the minister told Sunday Stabroek.

She said it is “unacceptable” that such problems exist in the regions and as such people “will have to do what they are expected to do or maybe we could find a place that they are better suited for.”

The minister said that the ministry has furniture, but if the region does report the need then the furniture cannot be sent to the school.

“The head teacher is the minister for that school, every school has a minister and every school has a CEO… and they have to be proactive too. Some of the schools I visited the head teacher never went to find out if the school is ready,” Manickchand said.

She said the regional education officers should visit the schools in their regions or have a system in place where they are aware of what is happening at each school.

And according to the minister, the government is providing exercise books for each student and these must be in the hands of the students and not sitting in some regional department or some head teacher’s office.

There is also the issue of schools using their own books and not the textbooks handed out by the ministry, she continued, as result placing a tremendous burden on parents.

“These are some things I want to streamline, but like I said I know where we came from and I know that I have met it at a point where it is the most streamlined, but there is still more work that we have to do.”

The minister said that she wants to ensure that the things the government invests in are beneficial to the students, and as such the ministry would be publishing things such as how many exercise and textbooks a student is entitled to, and if the child did not receive the books then a number would be listed for them to call.

Dropout rates

Meantime, in an effort to address the dropout rates of students the minister said she has spoken to the welfare department of her ministry and they have to play a larger role and have to assist in the identification of students who start having problems very early. Students who are absent for a week or a few days, should be visited at home by the officers in effort to find out why they are not attending classes. If they have stayed away because they are not academically inclined then  their talent or interest should be identified.

The minister noted that other technically based programmes have been created to assist these students in the schools and an examination of that programme is currently under way to ensure it is working, and if it is not what is needed to make it work. The aim is to have a technical centre in each region so that students who are not academically inclined would have an option.

“We have to make sure that we challenge and channel those children into the right area and make sure that those areas are properly staffed, they have equipment, that they have the necessary challenge and it is not just something we say we are doing but we are not seeing the necessary results.”

The minister also told the newspaper that she is working on a “huge project” in the ministry trying to attain universal secondary education.  She said it is going to be an expensive undertaking but it is not something they can “put off.”

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/news/stories/01/14/%E2%80%98no-child-left-behind%E2%80%99-policy-to-be-reviewed-manickchand/

EDUCATION Minister Priya Manickchand, following a visit to  three Region 3 schools yesterday, said school managers and head teachers must be cognizant of the buildings’ readiness prior to their opening after an end of term, and must report unpreparedness to the Regional Education Departments and Central Ministry, so that the necessaryactions can be taken, including notifying parents/students of delayed opening or interventions to ensure their surroundings are suitable for the delivery of education. 

Along with a team of ministry and regional officials, the minister visited the Nismes Primary School, West Bank Demerara, and the Uitvlugt Primary and Leonora Secondary schools, West Coast Demerara. Articles of these schools’ unpreparedness at the start of the school term were highlighted in two dailies.   
Minister Manickchand emphasised that the state of the schools should not have attracted her attention, for there are systems in place to address the issues.
With regard to Nismes Primary, Minister Manickchand stated that she was a bit perturbed , contrary to what she was told, the pond in the school’s compound has not been filled. She added that it is clear that the school was not visited prior to its re-opening. 
“This is unacceptable… we have decided that persons who are put in positions of management and supervision have to honour the terms of their employment, and do these things before school reopens,” Minister Manickchand emphasised.

She reiterated that while the parents’ concerns are now being resolved, they should have been addressed a week prior to the start of the school term.
Classes will now recommence from Monday at the Uitvlugt Primary, and parents are urged to send their children out. Notably, efforts will be in place to ensure that any class time lost during the first week of school will be recovered during the coming months.   
Minister Manickchand explained that the anticipation is that such an incident would not have to be addressed again, since measures will be put in place to make sure that when project instructions are issued, that they are executed and monitored to ensure completion.

Contractors
While at the $293.5M Leonora Secondary that was opened in November, Minister Manickchand stated that the work on the school will be completed by this weekend and explained that it was incomplete because the contractor was awaiting the arrival of eight specially ordered sinks from overseas for the science labs. With the arrival and installation of these, the remaining work will be complete.

Minister Manickchand noted that while the work was incomplete, school has been in session, and this is evident with attendance by both teachers and students. Additionally, since school reopened, the school has had a Parent Teachers’ Association meeting, engaging parents of Fifth Form students who will be sitting the CSEC exams this year.
With regard to the timely completion of works done on education institutions, Minister Manickchand disclosed that in December, the ministry’s officials met with the contractors, hired through the tender process, who are currently working on schools and dorms around the country.
She stressed that at that meeting, it was made clear that they abide by the contractual terms, especially as it relates to the completion and delivery of quality work; and if they fail to honour their agreement, then the Ministry will not hesitate to implement the contractual terms to penalise them.

Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2012/01/07/schools-must-be-visited-prior-to-re-opening-education-minister

The year 2011 will go down in the annals of Guyana’s history as an interesting one for many reasons. There were high points and low points for the year which was made even more interesting by a few individuals, some of whom contributed significantly and selflessly towards the upliftment of their homeland.
On the political scene there was a historic election along with the classic tit-for-tat between the Ministers of Government and their shadow colleagues, and lively yet sometimes hollow debates in the National Assembly.
Some of the Cabinet Ministers have been accused by the Opposition Parties as well as other sections of society of a host of things not limited to illegality and downright corruption. However, there was one who from the beginning who has always managed to elude chastisement and deservedly so.
Priya Devi Manickchand’s term as Human Services and Social Security Minister came to an end a few weeks ago and based on her stellar performance she was upgraded/promoted to Minister of Education.
Entering the political scene in 2006 as one of the youngest Ministers anywhere in the world, Manickchand has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the lives of literally thousands of Guyanese and not always with the fanfare and press publicity.
Now married and with a young daughter she has over the years been at the helm of a Ministry with responsibility for dealing mainly with the vulnerable groups in Guyana. For anyone that knows or had any form of interaction with this young Minister they would quickly relate to you that she is one of the most down-to-earth and humble persons.
For all of the achievements that she has had at the helm of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand insists that she merely continued and finished where others left off and further there is still a lot to be done at the Ministry. She emphasises that she was part of a team that had an excellent blueprint and she merely executed what she was tasked with.
Manickchand operates on a wavelength some would term, “above and beyond the call of duty.” As a result of her stint at the Ministry of Human Services, the landscape for the nation’s vulnerable children, elderly, poor people, the disabled and particularly women, has forever been changed in a positive light.
Manickchand said that during her tenure in that designation, it was through consultations across the country that the Ministry was able to include the people of Guyana in the decision making process and it even embarked on things that had never been previously envisaged. Many needs of the Guyanese people were realized through the outreach approach that the Ministry had assumed under her guidance.
In the words of the modest servant of the people, everything that was achieved at the Ministry – from the smallest input into the life of one single Guyanese to some of the more eye-catching events that caught the attention of the media, “every-single thing was really important to bring together the workings of the Ministry.”
She explained that it is not just clearing off a checklist in terms of, “oh we promised this, check and it’s done….it was more about what we were doing for the lives on the ground and putting the most important things into perspective.”
In terms of the elderly, Manickchand believes that streamlining the pension system was a sterling achievement. The ruling Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Administration had removed what was called a ‘means test’ which had been in place by the previous administration and as such every person over the age of 65 became eligible for pension.
Manickchand acknowledges that it was not the easiest of programmes to have streamlined conceding too that, “we had problems with getting it out on time…our service was not as kind as it could have been.”
When it comes to the children of Guyana, under Manickchand’s watch there was a record number of interventions from the highest level in the form of modern legislation to the simple taking care of a child in need of care. She said that one of the areas that she was able to see immediate benefits to children was with the establishment of what was then called the Childcare Protection Unit.
Although it seemingly took forever to Manickchand, as a result of the various consultations and other initiatives that had to be undertaken, eventually a record seven Bills were passed in the National Assembly which were subsequently assented and enacted into law.
The Protection of Children Act, The Adoption of Children Act, The Status of Children Act, The Childcare and Development Services Act, The Custody, Contact, Guardianship and Maintenance of Children Act were all passed under her watch.
Manickchand also managed to get through the National Assembly the Childcare and Protection Agency Act which in turn established that Agency with its own rules, regulations and governing legislation making it at present an almost autonomous body devoted to the sole purpose of Childcare and Protection of Children.
The pieces of legislation that she spoke of can be described as revolutionary in their outlook and objectives.
Manickchand explained that one such piece of legislation that deals with the Status of Children deals with a topic that most persons don’t necessarily like to discuss.
“What happens to a child who is born out of marriage…what is his or her status?” The question is an important one because there are laws that cater for how children born to a wedded couple are treated but what about those crudely referred to as “bastards?”
Further she queried “what is the status of a child born by test-tube procedures…this is our child, this is Guyana’s child!”
The mandatory provisions for children born out of wedlock were not clearly defined in the laws of Guyana, despite the prevalent existence of this phenomenon, and for Manickchand this was something that had to be addressed.
She was forced to question where such a child would fit into the scheme of things in terms of inheritance and other such instances where children born in wedlock were clearly defined.
Manickchand spoke of the genesis of the adoption of children and said that she was eager enough to ensure that the process was made friendlier for the children and the persons interested in adopting a child.
“Protection of Children was a huge piece of legislation for me because it really defined how we are going to go forward as a nation.”
She speculates that two decades from now persons will not be seeking to talk to her about the piece of legislation but the nation as a whole would be able to see its benefits.
Manickchand spoke of the obligations of service providers such as teachers, police and social workers among others as it relates to children adding that “so often we hear people say that oh, I am only the teacher, and it is not my responsibility.”
This is a thing of the past now, because the legislation which was piloted by Minister Manickchand now places obligations on persons such as teachers and pastors, among others, to have to disclose information that they may know in relation to a child being in harm’s way. There is the classic case of Neesa Gopaul, a troubled teen, who despite some officials knowing such information, was still brutally murdered.
“We said no you don’t have confidentiality when it relates to a child being in jeopardy.”
Manickchand also spearheaded the establishment of the Childcare and Protection Unit which commenced with just five persons who were tasked with dealing with a range of matters relating to children, but this soon became an Agency with its own Law.
Under Mission Child Protection, an entire home was built to remove children from the streets, and at present this facility houses and provides care for more than 80 children, with a capacity for more than 150.
“For me the establishment of the Childcare and Protection Unit and then the Agency was hugely, hugely important…I saw immediate results from that particular intervention…we saw lives change right before our very eyes.”
She said that some of the children that they had assisted through that intervention could have probably ended up at the New Opportunity Corps, “and God knows where!”
This, Manickchand reflected, was achieved not with little endeavour as “there was a lot of effort put into it by the officers…we saw the results almost instantaneously.”
In terms of women, Manickchand reflected that one of the interventions that she would herald as being massively successful would be the Women of Worth (WOW) Programme. This is a programme where the Ministry teamed up with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry to provide loans for Low Income Single Parent women without having to put up collateral. Those targeted in this programme fell into criteria that allowed for them to establish or expand on a small business which would in turn assist their entire family.
This was a crucial venture, as according to Manickchand, women make up half of the world’s population but control a minimal amount of world’s wealth, “and in Guyana it is no different….You don’t have assets, you don’t have a car or a bus or a house to put up as collateral to borrow some money.”
This she says leaves a vicious cycle where the woman is in a position to not be able to borrow any money to assist, even if it is to expand a small catering business or a modest stall selling small items at the front of her home hereby continuing, “this vicious cycle of repetitive poverty.”
This is another programme that Manickchand says that she was able to witness change before her very eyes.
Already more than 2000 women have accessed this facility, and in the case of defaulters on repayment, Manickchand said that it was a simple case of not just providing the women with the money, but the Ministry also assisted them in properly utilizing the money, thereby allowing them to be in a position to repay so that others could access the fund.
“It has changed the way they live their lives,” Manickchand asserted, adding that “it has also allowed for the children to have their lives positively impacted as well as in some cases other dependants.”
One of the more significant contributions that Priya Manickchand has also made is spearheading the passage of the Sexual Offence Act. She said that this process has seen Guyana move from a place where conversations could be had using words like ‘sex’, and ‘penis’ without evoking giggling and rather deal with the darker sides of sexual offences towards the benefit of all.
“We have now become a country where more easily…to a point… we can discuss these issues.”
Manickchand recalls that when she first embarked on the journey, persons were afraid “to look at me straight in the eyes to talk about sex and rape and the other ugly phenomena that exist, and that the Act had to entail”.
Speaking to growth of a country that is not always easily defined, Manickchand says that Guyana is now at a place where “we see people holding placards and saying this must stop…we see people speaking up…it is not an issue that we are hiding from as much as in the past.”
She said that when persons can speak out on these issues then there could be help, even as she pointed to the fact that there is an increased number of reports of rape.
Manickchand is of the opinion that this is not because there is an increase in rapes but rather it is now that persons are more inclined to make a report if this heinous act is committed.
“The fact that we are seeing more and more reports should tell us about the kind of success that we have had because of the countrywide conversation that we have had on this issue.”
These are some of the interventions that Manickchand believes that were big undertakings under her watch at the Ministry and for which the country will continue to see results from for many, many years to come.
She has also been able to expand Legal Aid Services to cover the majority of Guyana, inclusive of the hinterland, and even now provide for children to access legal services among a host of other contributions.
But what exactly drives this young professional woman to have achieved what she has, despite having no experience in politics or the inner workings of a Government.
Manickchand says that she is not sure that she can isolate any one trait that motivates her, but what she knows is that she is a very results-oriented kind of person, in that as long as she is handed a task, she can be able to project what she wants in terms of results for that particular task for 10, 15 or 20 years in the future.
In what could be deemed as advice to fellow servants of the public, Manickchand states that she firmly believes that if ever there comes a time when a person is not feeling motivated to do what they are required to do then take a walk out of the office and meet the people that benefit from what you do or for whom you serve.
“Get up, get out of your office and go talk to people…it’s easy after a couple of months to get tired because it is a tiring job or it is easy to get bogged down.”
She says that whenever she encounters someone who has directly benefited or has been positively impacted as a result of something she has done, “that for me is all the motivation in the world.”
Manickchand stresses that she feels frustrated and lethargic if she cannot accomplish the desired results, but says that she relies on patience in order to see real benefits being directed to the people of the nation. She added that being Minister for Human Services and Social Security has forever made her a better person and that she has over the years had numerous memorable experiences that she will forever cherish.
She reflected on a memorable moment when as Human Services Minister she along with others from the Ministry, through a collective effort, were able to place a single parent mother of six children in a decent home of their own.
During her tenure she tried her utmost to avail assistance to the family and was elated when it was just about time for her to demit office in November that she was able to hand over the keys to a new home to the family.  This she recalled was done “out of the limelight” without the presence of the media and was certainly not intended to score political points.
Now tasked with heading the Ministry of Education she is confronted with the realization that it is no easy task, but assures that she will work to the best of her abilities, together with the stellar staff at the Ministry, to take the nation’s education sector to new heights.
“In a moment our life can be taken so we must make our time on earth count in every way.”

Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2012/01/01/people-that-made-a-difference-in-2011-priya-devi-manickchand-reflections-of-a-resolute-young-professional/

With an instant reflection on the goals that were set by the Government for the Ministry of Education, former Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, assumed the role of Minister of Education earlier this month effectively replacing Shaik Baksh as the head of the Ministry.

Her vibrant strides have already started to impact on the new Ministry despite the fact that some may say she is not qualified as an educator. The qualified Attorney-at-law during a recent interview alluded to the notion that some persons seem to think she is not equipped for the task at hand but her unbridled ambition has seen her already making an enormous impact in the sector.

“I see that some people say that I am not qualified in education but the Minister is really a policy maker and a manager…so if you are a good policy maker or a good manager then you can really head up any ministry except for the very specialized ones maybe like Finance or the Attorney General,” she said.
Since taking up the new Ministerial post Manickchand has met with the staff of her Ministry and according to her “they are incredibility talented and skilled people who are very experienced in the field of education and I think together with the political will we have to change the landscape of our country using the tool of education…” And this process, according to the Minister has already begun with the full support of the expertise of the individuals within the sector. However, the renewed efforts that have been engaged are not limited to education officials and teachers as according to Manickchand “it involves listening to people because for me that is hugely important. It is not just what we want or what the experts believe  should happen, but we have to take our policies on the ground and have people tell us how we can tweak these and see how it fits their lives and their children’s lives and in a way that would make sense.”

“I think we have the will in this governing party and that is reflected through me; we have the energy to do it and we want to do and I have skilled and talented staff who have been in this ministry for ages and we are going to be talking to people about the things we want to see happen.”  In light of the supportive trend within the Ministry, Manickchand is confident that nothing will hinder reformation of the sector with a view of realizing improved performance, particularly in the subject areas of Mathematics and English. “I don’t see anything that we have set as unattainable at all,” the Minister confidently asserted.

Parents and students alike were among the target audience that Minister of Education Priya Manickchand has been reaching out to since she assumed office, even as she seeks to amplify the need for an urgent improvement in the Mathematics and English pass rate obtained countrywide. The Minister, backed by senior education officials, up to the end of the last school term was travelling the country to meet with stakeholders ahead of the commencement of a project aimed at improving the national pass rate in the target subject areas. The aim of this project is to prepare students for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination next year.

The programme, according to the Minister, represents an earnest collaboration between the government, teachers, parents and students to facilitate the much needed improvement in the subject areas at CSEC. Upon taking up the Education Minister portfolio Manickchand said that she immediately recognized that there was a noticeably low pass rate in the two target subject areas, with Mathematics being more alarming. In light of this she has introduced an aggressive strategy which will see students being furnished with the requisite resources to help bolster their performance. The Ministry has since committed to providing some 4,000 students, who will be a part of the pilot project, with CXC General Maths Book I and II, the Self-Study Guide for CXC, the collection of revision DVDs, the combined pass papers from 2008 to 2011, Model Solutions to difficult answers, Combined Solution for everything in addition to a geometry set and graph paper and a scientific calculator.

And in order to sensitise the relevant stakeholders about the ambitious initiative the Minister had personally raised awareness at a number of target schools which have been identified to pilot the project.  Among the schools participating in the project are Abram Zuil, Anna Regina and Aurora (Region Two); West Demerara, Zeeburg, Patentia, Leonora, Stewartville (Region Three); Annandale, Coven Garden, Bladen Hall, Hope (Region Four); East Ruimveldt, Christ Church, North Georgetown, Central, Brickdam, North Ruimveldt, Richard Ishmael (Georgetown), Bushlot, Mahaicony, Bygeval, Woodly Park Primary Tops (Region Five); J. C. Chandisingh, Tagore Memorial, , New Amsterdam Multi, Berbice High, Skeldon LinePath  (Region Six); Three Miles (Region Seven), St. Ignatius (Region Nine), McKenzie High, Christianburg and Silver City (Region 10).

Source:https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/12/31/manickchand-channels-unbridled-ambition-towards-improvement-of-education-sector/

Bettering the lives of many Guyanese in 2011 
A GINA feature 

THERE were remarkable developments in all the departments of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security in 2011. Several of the ministry’s initiatives blossomed such as the Women of Worth (WOW) Programme, the Family Court was completed, the Night Shelter expanded and construction progressed on the Homeless Shelter at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice. 
The lives of senior citizens and other vulnerable groups including children and women were bettered. The labour sector monitored workplaces, increased training and undertook outreaches to several parts of the country. 
The Ministry , which was for most of 2011 under Ministers Priya Manickchand and Manzoor Nadir got  two new Ministers following the recent General and Regional Election: Ms. Jennifer Webster  with portfolio for  Human Services and Social Security, and Dr Nanda Gopaul responsible for Labour.

OLD AGE PENSION AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Government’s commitment to alleviate poverty was furthered as pensioners received an increase of 14%, affording about 44,000 pensioners a $7,500 monthly grant in addition to a water bill waiver of $8,000 each. The Ministry made it easier for pensioners to receive their pension books by taking the distribution to areas close to their homes.

SHELTERS 
The Night Shelter at Arapaima Street, East La Penitence was expanded to accommodate more residents with the aim of reintegrating them into society. The Shelter was initially established to provide sleeping accommodation for the homeless, but was transformed into a safe haven for more than 200 homeless persons, on a 24-hour basis, providing three meals, and medical and rehabilitation services.
Meanwhile, construction began on a 300-bed residential centre for rehabilitation and reintegration at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice ,as well in 2011, that will take care of the homeless on the streets.

WOW 
The single parent training programme was broadened allowing over 400 more single parents the opportunity to become marketable.
With skills achieved, single parents were also afforded the opportunity to improve their financial status through the revolutionary single parents’ micro credit Women of Worth (WOW) programme.
The programme provided the opportunity for more single parents to improve their financial status and to make significant contributions to economic development by having access to loans ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 to establish and expand small businesses. 
The programme is a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).  
The WOW department at the Ministry, by December 2011, had issued about 1,160 loans, valued in excess of $224M, to single parents since its inception in 2010. 
In addition to this, single parents who were registered with the Ministry in 2009 continued to received grants for daycare expenses so they could have remained employed.

PROTECTION FOR THE VULNERABLE 
Guyana’s children today enjoy a special place on the agenda of the PPP/C government, as more resources were invested in 2011 for further promotion of children’s rights. Amendments were made and bills passed in the National Assembly, including the new Child Development Act of 2011.
This act will provide for the licensing and monitoring of children’s facilities including day care centres and play groups.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
The Ministry over the past five years stepped up its fight against domestic violence, through several initiatives such as the National Domestic Violence oversight committee, White Zone and the Skeldon Declaration.
These programmes were further promoted in 2011 with the provision of more technical assistance and referral services such as legal aid to survivors of domestic violence. In December, new President Donald Ramotar indicated that his government will take a ‘no nonsense’ approach to dealing with the issue.
In 2011, scores of men and boys, aged 14 years, from Berbice signed onto the Skeldon Declaration, indicating their commitment to help put an end to domestic violence in all its forms  wherever it exists.
This strategy was a collaborative effort between the Ministry and non-governmental organizations, including the Men Empowerment Network that cleared the path for the launching of the historic White Zone, a place of neutrality, at the Wakenaam cottage hospital, where vulnerable persons, especially women and children, can seek help and protection from human predators.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Feminition, the brain child of former Minister Priya Manickchand, provided women from across the country the opportunity to further promote their talents and creativity while tapping into economic gains during the three-day event. It brought out the wide range of talents of women and created business linkages.

CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY 
This historic venture that was initiated by the Administration in 2009 as part of the move to further protect the well-being of children in Guyana was further strengthened in May 2011 when the Child Care and Protection Agency moved into a $25M head office at the corners of Broad and Charles Streets, Charlestown 
The agency was actively monitoring foster homes and orphanages, and implementing policy with regards to adoption, custody, guardianship and maintenance of children.
In December, the Child Care and Development Agency also held its first review conference to appraise and examine its operation procedures, achievements and challenges of the Agency and formulate strategies for the coming year.    
The Agency also trained more social workers to further enhance the human resources capacity.

FAMILY COURT 
Guyana’s first family court has been completed, albeit some delay in its operationalisation.
This facility will allow adults and children to seek redress, and where family law issues can be discussed in a specialized manner such as divorce, division of property, domestic matters, adoption, guardianship and custody.
A committee has been established and is currently working to formulate laws and regulations for its speedy operation. 

THE PALMS 
The welfare of senior citizens has always been a major priority for the PPP/C Government hence the constant maintenance and upkeep of the institution was critical in 2011.  New recreational facilities, including a gym, a library, and canteen facilities were installed to keep the residents healthily occupied.

LABOUR 
The Labour Ministry emphasised training, job services, public education and heightening awareness of labour standards, prevention of child labour and HIV and AIDS in the workplace.
Government has been working continuously to ensure workers’ rights are respected, labour laws are strictly observed and interventions are made when employers fail to honour their obligations. 
Today the country’s Labour Laws provide a measure of guarantee through procedures and institutions, for the maintenance of a stable industrial relations environment. 

BIT TRAINING 
The Ministry continued with its aggressive training programmes to allow more youths to develop their potential under the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) which has been providing thousands with the opportunity to acquire a skill. 
The programme was designed to specifically target school leavers and school dropouts to ensure that they are equipped with skills that will make them employable in areas such as Heavy Duty Equipment, Garment construction, Information Technology, catering and masonry.  
Almost 2,000 youths were trained by the Ministry during the year.

HIV/AIDS  in the workplace
In ensuring that the workforce is protected, and that stigma and discrimination against HIV/AIDS in the workplace is removed, the Labour Ministry continued the promotion of its national HIV/AIDS workplace programme which saw many businesses and workplaces committing to being equal opportunity employers.

ERADICATING CHILD LABOUR
The Ministry also continued to forge partnerships with several Ministries and agencies including education, health and the Guyana Teachers’ Union to increase awareness of child labour . 
The Ministry also embarked on a child labour project to reduce truancy and increase school attendance.
Labour, Occupational Health and Safety (LOSH) 
2011 also saw the continuation of the Ministry’s outreaches to workplaces throughout the country, along the coastland as well as far reaching communities including Mahdia, Lethem, Crabwood Creek, Kwakwani, Linden, Bartica, Port Kaituma, Parika and Mabaruma, contributing to a much safer working environment.

CRMA 
The Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA), of the Labour Ministry in 2011 provided placement for hundreds seeking jobs by allowing for business persons to register their vacancies by posting information on the website.

NEW MINISTERS 
Minister Jennifer Webster, with responsibility for Human Services and Social Security, and Dr Nanda Gopaul responsible for Labour were sworn in on December 5. 
Minister Webster has pledged to work to improve the quality of life of women, children, differently-abled, and senior citizens.
In collaboration with the Chancellor of the Judiciary, she plans to bring into reality the Family Court and reform pension for senior citizens, and focus a little more on the family.
The new Labour Minister’s focus will be on “observing the modern pieces of legislations that we have already enacted to ensure they are observed and that workers, irrespective of industry, irrespective of station in life, the conditions and their employment history is one in which they will be happy and that they have an environment of peace, tranquility and see Guyana develop from strength to strength.”

Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2011/12/30/the-social-services-sector

Although there has been an increase in the number of students attending extra lessons, this has not resulted in an increase in passes in Mathematics and English, according to new Education Minister Priya Manickchand.

She made this comment on Saturday during a meeting with parents and students at the Bush Lot Secondary School, in Region Five, which will be one of 32 secondary schools throughout the country participating in a pilot project to reverse sagging performances in Mathematics and English at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. On the same day she also visited other schools in the region as well as in Region Six that were identified to be part of the pilot project.

“Lessons have not been working as they should,” Manickchand said, while adding that the ministry has “found the solution.” According to her while there has been an increase in the pass rate for English, only 30% of the students have passed Mathematics.

She said her ministry “cannot accept that 70% of the students would fail” and that it “wants to change that.”

Parents were happy with the initiative and indicated their willingness to support the project, which was to have started from yesterday for one week during which time teachers would conduct classes in both subjects for two hours each.

Teachers also thanked the minister for initiating the project and were “confident that it would work,” providing that they get the support from the students and parents.

They also expressed a willingness to spend extra time with the students to ensure that they are successful.

Manickchand told the students that they should make the effort to go to school early in the mornings, take shorter lunch breaks or to attend school on Sundays if the teachers want them to.

She also urged the students to give up the time they spend on video games, Facebook and texting during the examinations period and focus on getting good grades.

If they should text, she said, it should be in proper English and they should also “start thinking in English.”

The parents were also encouraged to spend more time with their children and avoid giving them too many chores so they can spend more time with their books.

To this end, each student from schools selected for the project would be given a study package that consists of items such as text books, past examination papers and “DVD players that revise the entire programme.”

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/news/guyana/12/20/extra-lessons-not-working-to-boost-math-english-scores/

Following discussion Thursday with head of various schools from Regions 3, 4, 7 and 10 at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD), new Education Minister Priya Manickchand visited Region 3 where she met with parents, students and teachers from several schools, including Leonora, Stewartville and Zeeburg Secondary. 

The meeting was aimed at informing students and parents about the new initiative being undertaken by the government through the Ministry, to further improve students’ performance at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate, in mathematics and English.
Minister Manickchand said that the programme, which is being piloted in 32 secondary schools, is aimed “to improve the mathematics and English performance nationally…the schools were selected based on their previous results at the examination (CSEC) which shows that they have a foundation that could propel us to an average pass rate to about 50/60 percent”.
She said each student in the identified schools will be supplied with all the relevant learning materials, including scientific calculators, math and English text books, past examination papers, revision DVDs and geometry sets.
Teachers too, will be provided with special curriculum guides and syllabuses.
“In the remaining four months before the CSEC, we are hoping to focus on the areas where students have been the weakest …and I am confident that this new pilot programme will bear fruit,” Minister Manickchand said.
She urged parents and students to combine their efforts with government’s in making the programme a reality.
In an invited comment to the Government Information Agency, Minister Manickchand said that the feedbacks received from parents, teachers and students were positive.
“Once this programme works, it will be rolled out to every single secondary, starting from the Form Four, (grade 10)…based on the feedback teachers were hungry for this type of initiative, teachers are so passionate to see their students doing well,” said Minister Manickchand.
The Education Minister also met with teachers from the region, where she addressed several issues including furniture and the teaching curriculum.
Minister Manickchand visited schools in Region 2 today to meet with parents and teachers.

Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2011/12/17/minister-manickchand-visits-region-3-schools-involved-in-new-pilot-project

A five-month long pilot project will be introduced in 32 secondary schools throughout the country to reverse sagging performances in Mathematics and English.

New Education Minister Priya Manickchand an-nounced the initiative at a meeting with head-teachers, heads of department and teachers at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) on Thursday, saying that it is intended to increase pass rates by 20%.

To this end, Manickchand assured that the over 4,000 Fifth Form students, who will be sitting the 2012 CSEC exams and teachers, will be given all the resources they need to be able to succeed.

This year the achieved pass rate for English A was 60.8 percent as compared to 59.2 percent in 2010, while in Mathematics there was a decrease from 34.5 percent to 30.4 in 2010—a range that is in line with the pass rate in Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados.

“The education sector has seen large investments, in fact the largest in terms of the resources that are plugged into the ministry, but we are not seeing the corresponding results proportionate to the investment made particularly in core subjects like Mathematics and English,” Manickchand was quoted as saying by the Government Information Agency (GINA).

She added that failings in these subjects would mean that a lot of doors in education and in jobs would be closed to Guyanese children.

GINA noted that the Education Ministry has long recognised that student performances, particularly in Maths and English A, have been an area for concern and it has implemented several initiatives to improve performances.

These include the special training for Maths and English teachers via the Non-Graduate programme, workshops with subject specialists, strengthening the Maths programme at the Cyril Potter College of Education, and the institutionalisation of the remediation programme.

The Ministry, GINA noted, will be ensuring that the students participating in the pilot get all the required resources, which include for texts, study guides, past CSEC papers, among other things. In specific schools, assistance will also be given for English B (Literature).

Some of the schools identified to be in the pilot project include Abram Zuil and Aurora, in Region 2; Stewartville, Leonora, and Zeeburg, in Region 3; Annandale, Covent Garden, and Bladen Hall, in Region 4;  East Ruimveldt, North Georgetown, Brickdam, and Richard Ishmael, in Georgetown; Bush Lot, Bygeval, and Woodley Park primary-top, in Region 5; Tagore, New Amsterdam Multilateral, and Skeldon Line Path, in Region 6; Three Miles in Region 7; St. Ignatius, in Region 9; and Mackenzie High, Silver City, and Christianburg, in Region 10.

The selected schools were chosen on the basis that their results were good in 2010 and 2011, GINA said, while noting that Manickchand and a team of ministry officials are currently visiting the schools to emphasise the importance of students committing to working towards attaining success.

Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam recalled that over a year and a half ago 110 secondary head teachers had met at the same location, and a call was made for the development of a different approach in preparing students for CSEC, particularly in Maths and English. Sam, GINA said, pointed to changes implemented since then, including schools committing to a more robust remediation programme, and teachers giving more of their time to students who need additional support.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/news/guyana/12/17/pilot-project-introduced-to-boost-csec-mathsenglish-pass-rates/