The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results are out and noteworthy there were outstanding performances this year. There is no doubt that we need to celebrate our outstanding performers. These students evidently had to have spent countless hours studying and preparing for these examinations. However, while we celebrate the top performers, the overall results show unquestionably that with the lack of meaningful performances in Mathematics – more so with the decline of pass rates in the subject area this year – there needs to be strategic planning by the Education Ministry for there to be improved performances at these examinations. The Education Ministry on Wednesday announced that there was a decline this year in Mathematics, with a pass rate of 38.37 per cent when compared to the pass rate of 45.07 per cent recorded in 2015.
Overall, there was an increase in the number of candidates who wrote the CSEC examination in 2016. The Education Ministry reported that a total of 12,809 candidates wrote the examination, of which 35 per cent wrote the exams privately. Laudably, Grade One to Three passes in English Language (A) recorded a significant improvement of over 10 per cent from last year’s performance. In 2016 there was a pass rate of 59.3 per cent in English A as compared to 49.36 per cent in 2015. The Ministry also reported that the overall pass rate in the general and technical proficiencies for Grades One to Three this year was 63.39 per cent compared to 62.72 per cent in 2015. A total of 35 subjects were written by Guyanese candidates and an analysis of the results indicated exceptional performances in 15 subjects, where the Grades One to Three passes exceeded 75 per cent, while satisfactory performances were recorded in the other 18 subjects with Grades One to Three passes exceeding 50 per cent. But again this year, the science subjects recorded disproportional performances. While there was significant improvement in Biology and Physics, Integrated Science declined and unsatisfactory performances were recorded in Chemistry.
The 2016 results come at a time when there is a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Education Ministry. As alluded by Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Education Ministry, Delma Nedd, the Ministry is yet to launch a pilot project, which was generated under former Minister Priya Manickchand in 2014, specifically targeting Mathematics in secondary schools. As a matter of fact, the plan was expected to monitor performances of students from the entrance of secondary school, right through to CSEC. According to the PS, the Ministry is awaiting the CoI report before proceeding and that this project may be launched “sometime” next year.
The question is whether the Education Ministry is serious about this announcement. A number of CoI’s have been conducted since this new Administration took office and the public is yet to see any significant result or actions from those inquiries. So in the meantime, is the Education Ministry willing to accept underperformance by our students until the “CoI” report is out? Nedd herself at the announcement of the CSEC results admitted that the Education Ministry is not satisfied with the performance in Mathematics. Instead of waiting for the CoI report, the Ministry should examine that pilot project to determine its effectiveness and strategies to address the Mathematics curriculum.
As a collective institution, the Ministry has to also examine the various pedagogical approaches in order to support the improvement of the entire education sector and more specifically, the performance of students in Mathematics. The need for a qualified cadre of Mathematics teachers has been highlighted in the CSEC results over the years. Focus should be placed on how to improve our teachers’ skills and give them the necessary tools they need to improve those skills. The preparation for these examinations does not commence at secondary school level but rather from the beginning of a student’s educational life.
