Strategic investment in the education sector producing results – Min. Manickchand

The government’s strategic and prudent investments and initiatives in the education sector continue to yield exceptional results, evident at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

The administration continues to make conscious efforts to ensure that all students have equitable access to the resources required to obtain a solid education.

In 2019, 140 children were placed at Queen’s College. Of this amount, 89 were from private schools, while 51 were from public schools.

Some 15,273 students from across the country wrote the assessment this year.

Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies combined for the highest possible score of 507.7. 

This year, 189 children are being placed at Queen’s College. Some 106 are from private schools and 83 are from public schools.  

Some 868 children will be placed at the national schools. Of that amount, 499 are from public schools and 369 from private schools.

The top one per cent of candidates are placed at Queen’s College.

The government crafted various strategies to ensure that the students were engaged meaningfully by providing the necessary resources and tools due to the learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

This was underscored by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand during the announcement of the NGSA results at Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre on Friday.

These strategies include consolidating the curriculum, expanding the Guyana Learning Channel and distributing textbooks to children across Guyana.

“And we have seen that result…In every subject, we have done either marginally better or significantly better…We will not stop investing in our children.

“We have more children from the public schools being awarded places at our national schools than private school children,” the minister pointed out.

The education minister emphasised that government is on a mission to expand the capacity of various schools to ensure that children are comfortably accommodated throughout Guyana.

“Our commitment to you is that whichever school you go to, you will have the same services. Some of those will be that students can cross-stream, wherever they go they can write as many subjects as they want wherever they go. We are not encouraging many subjects but we are saying that your choices shouldn’t be limited by geographic location or which school you attain,” the minister stated.

The pass rate for English was 64.47 per cent; last year, the pass rate was 64 per cent.

The rate for Science increased from 46.45 per cent in 2022 to 55.11 per cent in 2023; This adds to the 6 per cent growth that was seen the previous year.

For the first time in four years, there are more students receiving full marks in science than students receiving zero.  

The pass percentage in Mathematics increased from 34.72 to 39.87 per cent this year.

The pass rate for social studies decreased a little from 58.9 per cent in 2022 to 58.57 in 2023. Glasford Archer of Leonora Primary, Ritisha Gobin of Academy of Excellence, and Anaya Jagnandan of New Guyana School copped top honours.