Schools will be closed for both virtual and face-to-face learning from December 18, 2020, to January 4, 2021, for the Christmas holidays but when the new term begins, only the current Grades 10, 11 and 12 students, who are preparing to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), will return to the classrooms, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand has clarified.

“How ever you were engaged in this term, is how you start on the 4^th of January, so if there was face-to-face engagement in this term, then that’s how you start in January and if it was on Zoom and Google and Whatsapp, that’s how it starts back too,” Manickchand told the News Room on Friday.

She said the ministry is still consulting with parents and teachers about the possibility of other students returning to the classrooms.

“We want to make sure we get all the information we need and we make the right decisions. In this period, something can be right one day and evolve into wrong the next day.

“…We have not made a decision about any other levels as yet. Right now we only know fourth, fifth and sixth formers are back and should be back in the classrooms,” Manickchand said.

Schools were closed since March 17 as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic and reopened for CAPE and CSEC students on September 14.

According to the Education Minister, in order to ensure a safe environment for children, a large percentage of the population must wear their masks, maintain social distancing and work towards flattening the curve.

Whenever the decision is taken for other students to return to the classrooms, the Minister affirmed that exams will be conducted to determine the learning gap and to ensure everyone is on the same level.

Additionally, Manickchand said religious leaders are being engaged to track down those children who have not been able to continue learning since the closure of schools. One such meeting was held on Friday afternoon.

“For the students who did not turn out and they have gone into the workforce, we have to find a way to ensure they finish some level of education or training in the secondary sector,” the Minister said.

She added: “The reason we chose the religious bodies is because they exist in all the communities so you’re likely to know this boy from up the road start working, we can go help him out [or] let’s see how the Ministry can support this.”

Manickchand said the ministry will look to help the students in achieving a higher education which will lead to a higher quality of life.

Guyana continues to see an increase in COVID-19 cases with 73 new cases recorded on Friday taking the overall toll to 5,601 to date.

SOURCE: https://newsroom.gy/2020/12/05/schools-will-not-reopen-fully-in-january-says-education-minister/

As the new People’s Progressive Party Government puts its plan in place for the safe reopening of schools, Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Tuesday met with members of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU).

The GTU was invited to the meeting by Minister Manickchand where she listened to the Union’s views about the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector and teachers in particular, according to a press release from the Ministry.

Schools have been closed in Guyana since March with those sitting examinations at the primary and secondary level returning only to sit those examinations.

Minister Manickchand and representatives of the union looked at a number of possibilities including virtual learning on platforms such as Zoom or google classroom, the Learning channel or a physical opening which seems to be the most important issue to address presently.

They all agreed that whatever decision is taken that children and their families must be safe while keeping children engaged academically.

September is usually the beginning of a new academic year, however, GTU expressed the view that schools were unprepared at present to accommodate a physical re-opening that would allow for the safety of all involved, the release noted.

A final decision has not been made relative to the physical reopening of schools. The Education Ministry continues to engage stakeholders on the issue and commits to making an announcement soonest.

Present at the meeting were, the President of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) Mr Mark Lyte, Chief Planning Officer (CPO) Ms Nicola Johnson, Director NERD Ms Jennifer Cumberbatch, Human Resources Manager- MoE Ms Jacqueline Simon, Patrick Onwuzirike Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO)- Technical, Ms Samantha Williams ACEO- Nursery, Ms Carol Benn ACEO- Primary, June-Ann Gonsalves ACEO-Secondary, GTU General Secretary Coretta Mc Donald, First Vice President-GTU Lesmeine Collins and GTU Treasurer  Sumanta Alleyne.

SOURCE: https://newsroom.gy/2020/08/11/september-reopening-of-schools-not-confirmed-talks-ongoing/

Key officials at the Ministry of Education, including Minister Priya Manickchand, recently met with Regional Executive Officers (REO) and Regional Education Officers (REdO) across the country to discuss plans for the eventual re-opening of schools.

According to a statement from the Ministry, consideration is being given to having students in Grades 10 and 11 return to the school first as they need “critical time in the classroom to complete School-Based Assessment (SBA) in the lead-up to CXC and CAPE 2021.”

The Minister stressed the importance of certain amenities such as running water, adequate toilets and other related features that each school should have for the reopening to happen. She acknowledged that such an undertaking is a costly exercise but noted that the 2020 National Budget caters for this blended approach to address the situation.

The meeting also looked at how students at schools with dormitories will be adequately facilitated while still observing the COVID-19 social distancing guideline.

The Ministry said it was the consensus of the officials that ongoing work had to be accelerated and efficiently managed to ensure the safety of both students, teachers and other stakeholders and this will also be addressed.

Discussions were also held on ensuring adequate staffing and textbooks for schools in light of the pandemic which will ensure certain restrictions are not infringed.

In addition to the aforementioned, the Ministry of Education said it is currently undertaking works at schools across the country installing additional sinks at the entrances and within the schools.

Additional toilets are being built as COVID-19 guidelines signs are being erected in and around the schools. There is also weeding and cleaning of school compounds that are ongoing.

With schools closed since March this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister Manickchand told the officials that it was important that every school be fully prepared to receive both students and teachers in the safest of environments when schools are approved for re-opening by the Ministry of Health.

Also attending that virtual meeting were Chief Education Officer Dr Marcel Hutson, Permanent Secretary Alfred King, the Assistant Chief Education Officers for Nursery, Primary and Secondary along with all District Education Officers (DEO’s) and the Chief Planning Officer Ms Nicola Johnson.

SOURCE: https://newsroom.gy/2020/10/21/students-from-grades-10-and-11-likely-to-return-to-school-first/

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand today warned Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd that “tough action” will be taken if the long-stalled rebuilding of the St Rose’s High School does not move forward.

A release today from the ministry said that Manickchand met with the contracting firm and expressed her “deep concern” about the lack of movement the project has experienced for two years.

The contract for the construction of the new building on Church Street was awarded in 2018. Changes were made to the initial design to include a pile foundation, the release noted. However, since the piles were driven, no substantial work has been done at the location by the contractor.

Manickchand said that it is disappointing that the company hasn’t gone anywhere with the construction of the building. According to the release, she said that it is a disservice to the nation’s children that a state-of-the-art building which was scheduled to finish in August 2021 will have to be delayed further due to the contractor not being able to move the project along efficiently.

Manickchand indicated to the Principal of the company, Courtney Benn that the Ministry will have to “make tough decisions regarding the project if his entity does not provide a solution to the current problem”.

The release said that it was also highlighted in the meeting that the principal of the contracting entity is also behind in another project for the Ministry of Education – the dormitory for the Linden Technical Institute.  Manickchand said that the Ministry of Education is “not in a position to accept mediocrity in the performance of contracts and has put the contractor on notice for the severe delays in these two important projects”.

The company was also advised that the Ministry will continue to be engaged on the way forward. Also present in the meeting was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Alfred King, Special Projects Officer, Ron Eastman, Technical Officer to the PS, Karen Burch-Smith and engineers from the company.

SOURCE: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2020/10/12/news/guyana/education-minister-warns-courtney-benn-contracting-over-st-roses-rebuilding/

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Saturday commenced the distribution of the $4,000 school uniform and supplies voucher programme in Region 6, East Berbice-Corentyne.

Over 22,000 students in the region will be benefiting from the programme at an approximate cost of $90M.

Minister Manickchand, during an interview with reporters at the Leeds Primary school, said the project is aimed at reducing the financial burden on parents, while at the same them, improve their quality of life and allow them the opportunity to have money in their pockets.

“We are very pleased to bring this; this is just a small part of the kind of assistance we intend to give that will complement the high quality teaching we want in the classrooms, because we know that building fancy schools, which we intend to do, and training teachers, putting furniture in the schools sometimes is not enough to reach every household.

“We need to look at what individual needs are. As you see, the high rise buildings going up and as you see the roads being built, we want people to feel in their pockets lighter…we want to be able to ensure people feel can have a better quality of life,” Minister Manickchand said.

She said next year, parents will see the return of the $15,000 cash grant and over time, they can expect the grant to raise incrementally to $50,000 per child.

The distribution started at the Tagore Memorial High School and continued throughout the day at various secondary, primary and nursery schools across the region.

SOURCE: https://newsroom.gy/2020/11/21/22000-students-to-benefit-from-school-uniform-supplies-voucher-in-reg-6/

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Tuesday launched the uniform and school supplies voucher distribution exercise in Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region Ten), with visits to the Mackenzie High and One Mile Primary Schools, Linden.

During simple ceremonies at both schools, she assured students, teachers and parents that the government is committed to providing support to ensure that the nation’s children are educated.

Minister Manickchand said the government is cognisant of the usual struggles parents face, some of which have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Whether school opens next week or next month or even next year, you still need to put pencils in their book bags, you still need to put socks on their feet so why not give it to you as soon as we have it rather than have you wait and struggle while we have money at the Ministry? That is not how I operate. That is not how this government operates, and it will never be how we operate. If we have it, we will give it to you, and we hope that this can lighten your pockets,” Minister Manickchand told the parents.

She noted that her visit should serve as a reminder that the government has not forgotten the region nor the worries of parents.

“We wanted to come to let you know that we have not forgotten you and we have not been unconscious of how very concerned you are. We know that parents particularly are very worried about their children’s education and their future,” she said.

Meanwhile, several parents said they were grateful to the government for the initiative.

Simone Prince-London, a nurse and mother of three said, “it’s a great help because it can help you with some additional expenses that you would have over this pandemic season.”

Another parent, Yanick Copeland, also said he appreciated the gesture. “It’s good to know that these things can come in handy to assist persons in various ways. Sometimes it’s not only school items, but other items which can help facilitate learning.”

To date, voucher distribution has started in Regions Three, Five, Six and Nine.

Minister Manickchand said the ministry has worked tirelessly to ensure students at all levels are engaged academically through the radio, television via the Guyana Learning Channel, worksheets or virtually.

It was noted that worksheets have proven to be the most effective in reaching students at all levels across every region. (Extracted and modified from Department of Public Information)

SOURCE: https://newsroom.gy/2020/11/24/school-vouchers-distributed-in-linden/

Approximately 21,000 students in grades 10, 11 and 12 along with practical and technical vocational students will be returning to school from November 09, Education Minister Priya Manickchand announced on Saturday.

“Schools shall reopen for face to face engagement for the cohort of students in grades 10, 11 and 12 and for all practical instruction centres and technical vocational educational centres from the 9th day of November 2020,” Manickchand told reporters at a press conference held at the National Center for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).

The decision to reopen schools was based on studies and best practices from across the world followed by extensive discussions between parents, teachers, the Ministry of Health, the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU), the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) and other stakeholders, the Education Minister said.

Teachers and students who will be returning to schools will not be required to do a COVID-19 test, however, if any student or teacher becomes infected, Minister Manickchand assured that all guidelines will be followed.

“The protocol as advised by the Ministry of Health is not to test everyone at this stage in the country so no there is no immediate plans for the testing of teachers and students before they return to school.”

It was highlighted that the school term will be adjusted and the school week may also be extended.

Students and teachers will attend school on a rotation schedule based on special timetables set by the schools in accordance with the gazette COVID-19 orders.

Schools with dormitories will also be reopened on November 09 with special arrangements.

“For the dorms, we have special arrangements, we are working very closely with the Ministry of Health to make sure the students that come back in the dorms are COVID-19 free as well as remains so during the time,” the Minister said.

During recent meetings with teachers, parents and students, it was also highlighted that a large number of students are worried about being adequately prepared for the CSEC and CAPE 2021 examinations.

“So worried are students that we have received alarming numbers of requests from students to repeat the year as they feel they will lose if we continue to stay out of school, so worried were teachers that many have returned to the classroom for face to face teaching at all levels in all parts of Guyana,” the Education Minister explained.

However, while CXC has not yet determined when the exams will be held and what format will be used, a recent advertisement by CXC was published for students to register for exams in May/June 2021.

In further defending the Ministry’s decision to reopen schools even as COVID-19 cases continue to rise rapidly in Guyana, Minister Manickchand said the closure of schools since March, if continued, can lead to more school dropouts and other issues.

“We learnt from studies internationally which had indicated a strong likelihood of learning loss and a high possibility of premature school leaving and that the longer students stay out of school the most likely these will be the consequences,” the Minister stated.

The Ministry will be providing face masks, shields, sanitizing agents, vitamins and care packages to each teacher and student who will be returning to the classroom.

Schools, for weeks now, have been preparing for the eventual opening with the installation of sinks, proper ventilation and washroom facilities; thermometers will also be provided to all schools, students will also be administered a diagnostic wellness kit and the Ministry also pledged any other support where necessary.

Teachers from other grades are also expected to return to school and support the CSEC and CAPE teachers on a needs basis.

“We intend to ensure we lose not one single child to this school closure. Regular temperature checks, frequent cleaning of schools and adequate janitorial supplies, adequate cleaning staff, ongoing education best practices for COVID-19 safety will be carried out,” Manickchand said.

She further explained that teachers are also expected to engage the other students who will not return to school and the situation will be continually assessed by the Ministry to ensure the country does not lose educationally.

For those teachers who have younger children at home, the Ministry has committed to providing accommodation and supervision.

Additionally, the Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson and team on Friday met with representatives of the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department, the Minibus Union and the Department of Consumer Affairs to discuss the safety and security of students who will be using public transportation.

Dr Hutson explained traffic officers will be stationed at bus parks to monitor the situation and was also given the authority to determine if a minibus is safe to transport students.

SOURCE: https://newsroom.gy/2020/10/31/schools-to-reopen-on-nov-9-for-csec-cape-students/

The safe reopening of schools in keeping with children’s constitutional right to be educated is the top priority for the newly appointed Minister of Educated Priya Manickchand.

Manickchand who served previously as Minister of Education in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government before it lost the 2015 election, was sworn in once again as Education Minister on Wednesday.

She said there are several major issues to be addressed in the education sector but none before the COVID-19 situation and the reopening of schools is worked out.

“It [COVID-19] has affected the education sector very widely and needs to be properly thought out,” she said.

Schools have been closed in Guyana since March with those sitting examinations at the primary and secondary level returning only to sit those examinations.

Manickchand told the News Room moments after taking her Oath of Office at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre that she will work with her technical officers and other relevant agencies using statistics and science in determining what to do.

She could not say at this point whether schools will be reopened as is usually done in September.

“It is not an easy question to face…it cannot be resolved within a day,” she added.

The new Minister pointed to what has happened in other countries using the bubble method.

“For Guyana, the bubble method sounds nice on paper but can schools accommodate that?” she asked.

Manickchand believes it would be precipitous to speak about that right now but promised to address the issue with urgency.

“As a parent, I am concerned, teachers are worried and we will answer those questions early, the issue will be addressed early with the best information to keep children safe,” she noted.

SOURCE: https://newsroom.gy/2020/08/05/safe-reopening-of-schools-top-priority-for-education-minister/

On Monday, most students nationwide are expected to collectively begin the new school year with lessons being delivered through online classes, on-air educational programmes, and traditional workbooks, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand announced yesterday.

Manickchand told a virtual press conference that worksheets, text books and workbooks will be provided to hinterland students and others who cannot continue their learning either online or via broadcasted programmes. She said delivery of the print material will be done by midweek as one month’s worth of material has already been printed and is ready to be distributed as the ministry seeks to mitigate the disruptions in the delivery of education caused by schools remaining closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The minister urged all involved in the education process to play their respective part in making sure that the children of the nation continue to receive their education.

The Ministry of Education’s (MoE) plan will work in tandem with the schools’ timetables, which both teachers and the various channels (the Learning channel, NCN/ Channel 11 and other channels in various regions which will broadcast for the Learning Channel) will be guided by to ensure every student from nursery to tertiary level is being taught on an almost even scale.

The programmes set up will focus primarily on the four core subject areas – Math, Science, English and Social Studies – for the Primary-level students. Nursery kits containing workbooks, story books, and other learning aids for nursery school children will be made available in the weeks to come, according to the minister. The Secondary-level students will have work on the core subjects for grades 7 to 9, while grades 10 and 11 will have added subjects which are usually taught at those levels. The work will also be provided to hinterland students but on worksheets and in workbooks and textbooks.

Manickchand further disclosed that as part of the preparations to deliver work to as many geographical areas as possible, some regions now have access to the Guyana Learning Channel when they might not have had before, while others that may have lost their connection have now regained it.

While the ministry has tried to cater to the education needs of all children, the remaining question is whether this approach will be beneficial in the long-term. To this Manickchand said that while online teaching may never be able to replace the face-to-face method, the ministry cannot sit by and do nothing, especially since studies have suggested that learning-loss can result in high dropout rates and regression, which are a very real concern in the education sector. She added that too many children have been disengaged since March and that has to be addressed. As a result, the ministry will continue to seek the best suitable solution until the country can return to some normalcy.

She acknowledged that the ministry is relying on the assistance of the parents and the extended families of the students to ensure that they are going to benefit from this “try” at getting the learners back to learning. “It is not normal times. We all have to give the best we have to making sure as best we can that our children are engaged. I don’t have and don’t think anyone in the world has perfect answers to any of these questions but what we have to do from the ministry level is make sure that we provide and then we encourage through various advertisements, face-to-face engagement, keeping safe distances of course, in trying to make sure what we want to do is somewhat successful,” she said.

Speaking about the factors which may affect the learners, she said that the ministry is aware that many students and teachers are not going to be on the same level of accessibility but that time is

limited and solutions are not as readily available.

Regarding the concerns of many as to whether teachers will be actively involved in the new way of educating, Manickchand said that teachers have shown much interest and have been innovative in trying to educate their students and she fully intends to see them continue along this path.

She also addressed the recent mix up where the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) believed that schools had been secretly reopened and had called out the Ministry for being biased towards the senior schools. The minister said that the GTU’s concerns about connectivity for teachers and students were shared in a virtual meeting over two weeks ago. The ministry therefore expects the GTU to support the teachers as they carry out their mandated duty.

As it relates to internet connectivity and the skills needed for the best experience with online teaching, the MoE has launched its teachers training programme, which will ensure that all teachers are taught or trained on how to use the different online options for work delivery.

In catering to the hinterland teachers, the ministry has received permission from the organizations which will be training the teachers, to have their modules printed and made available for the teachers who would not be able to participate virtually. The modules will tackle the theoretical aspect of the lessons, while arrangements will be made to accommodate the practical aspects.

As for when or if schools will reopen, Manickchand said that the decision will be determined when health officials say it is safe to do so, but in the meantime, the ministry intends to start preparing schools with the necessary utilities for a safe reopening. “Medical opinions have suggested that after a period of consistent testing in terms of numbers you can see a levelling off in numbers and that’s when generally people would make recommendations about what we should do. We are not there as yet. A PAHO [Pan American Health Organization] consultant approved checklist has been sent out. How many sinks we have, how many have running water. How many children are registered in the school? And then we are going to look at proportionally whether they have enough sinks. How many toilets are there? Are they flushing? Do we need black tanks? Do we need running water? Does this school have enough ventilation? Do we need to open a couple of windows in these classrooms? That is ongoing …” Manickchand explained.

She informed that when schools do reopen, it would be for the older students to return, but under strict protocols. The phased reopening would have to undergo many deliberations, she said.

    

SOURCE: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2020/09/12/news/guyana/virtual-classes-to-continue-as-new-school-year-begins/

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand is assuring students that she will fight to ensure that the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) addresses their concerns and find a satisfactory solution regarding the grading of the recent exams.

The Minister has joined what is now a countrywide rejection of discrepancies in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).

“We understand what happened here, but I want to assure you that the adults are fighting for you. You are not alone,” Manickchand said in a bid to comfort students across the country who are now traumatized and disenchanted.

She said these include children who performed well throughout their academic life coming out with failing grades. In addition. all the students in particular subject areas in some schools were left ungraded. The Minister recognized that the issue is not peculiar to Guyana but other countries in the region.

Manickchand believes an investigation needs to be undertaken by the Council.

“It is too important and too serious and too widespread for CXC to ignore it,” he added.

CXC has already issued statements urging students to apply for personal review of their grade, a process that would cost students some USD$30 each. This Manickchand has withheld her support for and insists that CXC finds a better solution and do so quickly.

“CXC has talked about applying for review… CXC cannot be flippant about these concerns from Guyana and other countries and just suggest we follow processes… why should they pay for something that is very well not their fault?

The Minister was also joined in her call for CXC to address the concerns by her colleague Parliamentarian and General-Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union Coretta McDonald who has also asked the Council to do more than issue press statements in addressing the concerns.

“We are sending a signal to CXC, fix your business or we will fix it for you,” McDonald said.

McDonald said she is also deeply concerned as a parent herself about these results, calling it the dissemination of ‘willy nilly grades.”

She said the GTU had raised several concerns prior to the examinations, urging CXC to use this period to reform the examinations.

“We were given all the political talks from CXC and its Board but here we are now with children who having worked so hard being disenfranchised,” she added.

Manickchand has since spoken to the Registrar of CXC and has expressed her concerns while at the same time she has made efforts to speak with her Minister colleagues in other countries.

She said the Ministry is still receiving more complaints and gathering information.

The Minister of Education is going to aggressively pursue this matter with CXC in the best interest of the nation’s children.

SOURCE: https://newsroom.gy/2020/09/24/manickchand-teachers-union-up-calls-for-cxc-to-fix-discrepancies/