Low performance in Maths continues, as English improves

2018 NGSA results

Despite the implementation of a series of measures aimed at improving students’ performance in the core subject areas, Mathematics continues to record low pass rates at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).
This was revealed when Education Minister Nicolette Henry announced the 2018 NGSA results on Thursday. During an overview of pupils’ performance at this year’s examination, which was written in March, it was highlighted that 38 per cent of the pupils who wrote the NGSA exam this year gained 50 per cent or more compared to 45 per cent last year.

According to Minister Henry, exam pass rates usually fluctuate and it always becomes a cause for concern when that percentage drops below what was obtained previously. To this end, she noted that the Ministry will have to continue what it started last year, that is, mainstreaming methodology that were used in the emergency intervention.
“Last year as you are aware, it was an intervention year… so what we have to do is sustain… There is no subject area that is below the Maths 38 per cent, which was considered high for Mathematics,” she said, while adding that they want those days to be a thing of the past, whereby subject pass rate percentages are in the 20s, teens or even lower.
Following disturbing low performances in 2016, Cabinet had mandated in October that year that a strategy be established targeting improvements in students’ performance in the core subject areas. That plan was subsequently approved and implemented. Among the measures that were recommended are training of teachers in content and methodology, developing learning communities where teachers were able to share information and experiences regarding mathematical concepts and recruitment of monitors and coordinators to ensure that the emergency plan was implemented.
While these may not have achieved the desired results for Maths, the overall pass rate in English has since been improving. In fact, there was a six per cent increase pupils who gained 50 per cent or more at this year’s NGSA exams, that is, a historic 60 per cent compared to 54 per cent in 2017.
“I’ve also been guided by my officers that achieving 60 per cent is the highest percentage we’ve been able to achieve to date in any of the four subject areas offered by the National Grade Six Assessment,” the Minister said.
She further highlighted too that all of the administrative regions recorded improved performances in English, with Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) showing significant improvement.
Henry was heartened by these achievements, noting that these were as a result of increased investments by her administration in the education sector.
“We recognised that we have to invest in our people and so that required us recruiting additional supporting staff, developing and strengthening the existing programmes to result in the kind of results that you see today… It is very important you understand that results comes out of process, it just doesn’t appear and it is representative of the hard work of a lot of people,” the Minister said, adding that she looks forward to even more improved performances going forward.
With regards to the other two subject areas, Social Studies saw 46 per cent of the pupils who wrote the exam obtaining 50 per cent or more compared to 47 per cent last year. Meanwhile, in Science, 46 per cent of the pupils gained 50 per cent or more this year, which is the same as 2017.
Apart from the overall subject pass rates, another issue that was highlighted in reviewing this year’s NGSA results was the continued disparity in the performance of hinterland schools compared to those on the coastland.
Meanwhile, the gender gap was also brought into focus, with the Ministry saying that of the total 174 candidates in this year’s top one per cent, 104 are females compared to 70 males. The officials could not give, at the time, the overall gender ratio of the candidates who wrote the 2018 NGSA exams.