BREAKING: NGSA to be written on August 4, 5

The Ministry of Education has decided that the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will be written on August 4-5, 2021. This was disclosed by Education Minister Priya Manickchand at a press conference moments ago.

“We have been consulted frequently…and we have very many options, we met teachers, parents and students…including the Grades 2 and 4 results to place the students, writing only paper I, writing paper I and II only up to Grade 5 was an option…[but] the majority option was to have an exam with both papers I and II up to the Grade Five level,” she noted in response to questions about what informed the Ministry’s decision.

The Minister spoke of a consolidated curriculum which will be used to prepare students for the examination to enter Secondary Schools across the country. Manickchand added that the curriculum was crafted by experts from the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) and consultants.

She noted that the Ministry has yet again adopted measures to ensure the safe sitting of the Examinations while teachers were and are being trained to prepare the students by the date stated.

Though the schools will not be reopened to the Grade Six students ahead of the Assessment, the Minister disclosed that students will be presented with worksheets, books, pass papers and other materials which will also be available on the Ministry’s website. Revisions will also be aired in the evening of the Guyana Learning Channel.

“It will never be the same as having the children in the classroom but it is the best we can do…each student will receive care packages…,” she noted.

Further, students will be given copies of text books in the various subject areas which will be returned after the exam.

The examinations will be done in both Papers I and II.

Two mock exams will be administered before August 4-5, 2021.