Improved performances in English, Social studies and Science at NGSA

Significant improvements were recorded in three of the four subject areas in the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) this year, Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson announced on Monday.

A total of 14, 032 students wrote the exams this year. The highest possible score was 528.

“Improved performances were recorded in English, Science and Social Studies while a marginal decline was recorded in Mathematics,” Dr Hutson said.

In 2020, 61.2% of the students secured 50% and more in English as compared to 57.4% in 2019.

For Social Studies, 53% of students secured 50% and more in 2020 as compared to 39% in 2019.

In Science, 44.1% of students gained 50% and more in 2020 as compared to 42.4% in 2019.

Mathematics, however, moved from 42% of students gaining 50% and more in 2019 to 39.4% in 2020.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said that while the education sector has been performing well over the years, the success could not be credited to the former administration. According to Manickchand, the former administration created an environment that impacted the students when they took away jobs from their parents.

“The Education Ministry has been consistently performing well, education does not crash because Priya leaves…things that were put in place for a long while will start seeing effects and results.

“To say that it is because of the previous administration that these kids are doing well, I would reject that and say it is in spite of their very harsh economic policies and otherwise that education has done well.

“If a parent can’t feed their kid and give them a lunch bowl that impacts upon the child’s education,” Manickchand said.

With continuous collaboration with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to improve the quality of all national primary grade assessments, teachers, subject specialists and test development officers developed the test items with to address key areas such as item construction, weighting of items, sampling and other psychometric elements.