Students need to be mentally, academically prepared for NGSA after school reopens– NCERD Director

Director of the National Center for Educational Resources Development (NCERD), Jennifer Cumberbatch says there are many options for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) when schools reopened.

Cumberbatch spoke recently with the Department of Public Information but she did not go into details about these options.

“We are planning that once we know when school is going to be reopened then we are going to give our learners, the parents and the public the specific date so that they will be prepared,” Cumberbatch said.

She emphasised that the exams will not be held immediately after school reopens, noting that it is important for students to be mentally and academically prepared.

“We don’t want to give persons a date that would cause panic, we are going to give a good date from the time when school reopens. We know that the National Grade Six is a very important exam and we would like our children to be able to sit that exam.”

The NGSA is important because it determines which secondary school that students will be placed in.

According to Cumberbatch, “even though we have the many options on the table in terms of the assessment it is still guided by the Ministry of Public Health saying the restrictions is now lifted so that we can move forward.”

All schools remain closed as Guyana continues to battle the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. The NGSA was scheduled to be written on April 8 and 9.

Meanwhile, Technical Officer of the Ministry’s Crisis Management Team, Marcia Paddy-Andrews said students without access to the internet, particularly those in hinterland areas, were provided with worksheets in an effort to continue their studies.

Over 8000 worksheets for – Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and English – were distributed to Grades Two, Four and Six for students.

Further, Cumberbatch noted that teachers are also being trained on how to use online teaching tools.

Parents are also being encouraged to teach their children at home and also access the Ministry of Education website for online learning.