While some might be wishing that they could be given a second chance to “put their best foot forward”, there are a few others who are in celebratory mode having performed remarkably at the 2014 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).
More than 15,000 pupils from across the country participated in the examinations which saw 12-year-old Jorrel De Santos of the New Guyana School being declared the top performer with his 533 marks out of a possible 540.
The much anticipated results were unveiled by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand on Thursday, bringing to rest stirring anxiety among a wide cross-section of the population – mainly the pupils who participated in the assessment, their parents and teachers. The Minister’s disclosure was made at a press conference held at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) in Kingston, Georgetown.
The NGSA was conducted over the period April 16 and 17, last, with candidates participating in the four subject areas of Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies.
Minister Manickchand in her presentation of the results Thursday, which was mostly focused on the top one percent, appeared mostly pleased with the performance, even pointing out that Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) was the most improved, reflected by a 15 per cent improvement from last year.
While the overall results suggest that the performance in English has considerably improved, there is no denying that the area of Mathematics is still suffering.
Based on the Ministry’s statistical analysis disclosed by the Minister, the 2014 results reveal that the performance in English has improved – whereby the percentage of candidates securing 50 per cent and more has moved from 28.73 in 2013 to 51.92 in 2014. In fact the Minister disclosed that all regions showed an increase of 9.6 per cent, except Region 10 and Georgetown, both of which exhibited performances of more than 25 per cent.
Also laudable was the improvement observed in the number of boys securing 50 per cent and more in the subject area.
The Minister pointed out that “in 1994, 14 per cent of our children had passed with 50 per cent or more in English; in 2014 it is 51.92 per cent.”
But while in 1994 the Mathematics performance stood at 10.6 per cent and climbed to 31.52 per cent this year, the situation that obtains suggests that there has been a decline from last year’s performance.
“There was an overall decline in the number of candidates gaining 50 per cent and more in the subject in 2013; 43.94 per cent secured 50 per cent and more in 2013, in comparison with 31.52 per cent in 2014,” the Education Minister observed.
Moreover there is an average decline of 9.6 per cent among boys and an even more daunting decline of 11.7 per cent among girls.
The area of Science on the other hand revealed an improvement of 31.77 per cent in 2013 when compared to 43.75 per cent in 2014. This improvement, according to the Minister, translated to a more than 15 per cent increase in the boys who secured 50 per cent and more in Regions Five and 10, while girls of Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, 10 and Georgetown, showed an improvement of more than 14 per cent.
In her trek along memory lane, the Minister intimated that “20 years ago 30 per cent our children had passed Science with 50 per cent or more and now it is 43 per cent of children passing.”
The fourth assessed subject area of Social Studies revealed that the overall performance of candidates securing 50 per cent and more, regionally this year, is on par with the performance of 2013, although this year showed an improved performance among girls, Manickchand said. With 1994 remaining her reflective point, Manickchand recalled that in 1994, 16 per cent passed with 50 per cent or more in Social Studies, with the pass rate mounting to 40 per cent this year.
The Education Minister went on to note that “we are particularly pleased to announce that there are a number of schools that increased by 25 per cent or more, the number of pupils who passed with 50 per cent or more.”
Among these improving schools the Minister named were: Warapoka Primary in Region One; Bethany, Sparta, Wakapoa and Jacklow Primaries in Region Two; Vive-La-Force, McGillvary, Blake, Zeelandia and Comprehensive Primaries in Region Three; Cane Grove, Enmore, Chateau Margot, Diamond, IPE Academy and Phoenix Academy Primaries in Region Four; Ithaca, Zeeland and De Hoop Primaries in Region Five; Leeds and Johanna Primaries in Region Six; Holy Name Primary in Region Seven; Kato and Kopinang Primaries in Region Eight; Moca Moca, Konashen and Parikwau Primaries in Region Nine; Kimbia Mission Academy, St Thomas and Aroaima Primaries in Region 10 and J. E. Burnham, Rama Krishna and St. Ann’s Primaries in Georgetown.
“That is a significant improvement,” said the Minister of the aforementioned schools, even as she went on to recognise other schools that had an improvement of 10 per cent and more of its pupils who passed with 50 per cent and more.
Meanwhile, the Ministry in a statement issued yesterday stated that it will not be permitting “transfers for students whose parents wish for them to move to a school which requires higher marks than was earned by the student at the NGSA.”
It was pointed out that all placements of students were made based on the performance of the students and the capacity of schools.
There may, however, be some circumstances, the Ministry statement said, that lateral transfers will be allowed. This, according to the Ministry, “means that a student may request a transfer to a school within the same mark range and listing as the school to which they were initially placed.”
However, the Ministry noted that a request for such a transfer will only be granted if the requested school has space to accommodate additional students.
Moreover, the Ministry has reminded Head Teachers that they are “duty bound to ensure that students entering their respective schools have the appropriate marks.”