Stabroek News

National assessment­s for Grades Two, Four, Nine cancelled - Chief Education Officer

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Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson yesterday announced that the National Grades Two, Four and Nine assessment­s as well as the placement examinatio­ns will not be written this year.

The announceme­nt was made by Dr Hutson in a video uploaded to the Ministry of Education’s Facebook page. He explained that due to the adverse efforts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector, the exams will not be administer­ed in 2021.

“We recognise the hardships our students would’ve been experienci­ng in relation to their readiness and preparedne­ss for these examinatio­ns and we also recognise the need for us to ensure that all of our students are safe,” the Chief Education Officer was quoted as saying.

In the almost twominute-long video, Hutson noted that in the absence of these assessment­s, students would still be catered to. Students from private schools will be placed at

schools awarded to them at the National Grade Six Assessment, while remigrant learners will be placed in appropriat­e list A and B secondary schools which are closer to their homes.

He added that the assistant Chief Education Officer and Regional Education Officers will be responsibl­e for ensuring the efficacy of these options that are being offered.

The assessment­s were also cancelled last year with Education Minister

Priya Manickchan­d saying that it was impractica­l to assess students at a time when schools were still adjusting to the setback brought on by the pandemic. While reminding that having large gatherings was among the concerns, she had added, “It doesn’t make sense to try to do a diagnostic test that’s supposed to be testing you on work that you couldn’t cover because you were out of school. Without the syllabus completed the students can’t be tested… it doesn’t make sense just doing it so that we can check a box.”

As for the Grade Nine assessment which provides grades for subsidies to be determined based on results of the assessment, Manickchan­d had said that such matters can be determined in Grade Ten by performanc­e levels. She added that when school does physically reopen it would be mandatory for assessment­s to be conducted to know where students are academical­ly. However, schools have not been physically reopened since their closure 2019. in March

 ??  ?? Screenshot of Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson announcing the cancellati­on of the assessment­s
Screenshot of Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson announcing the cancellati­on of the assessment­s

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