Education Minister Priya Manickchand has, over the past few days, met with Grade Six teachers and parents of Grade Six students from the 11 education districts (Regions 1 to 10 and Georgetown) regarding the writing of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) 2021.
The Education Ministry on Wednesday said engagements were done via separate Zoom meetings, and told of what the Ministry has done and how their children would be assisted to write the NGSA on August 4th and 5th, 2021 and the mock examinations to be held on June 9th and 10th and in July 2021.
The first mock examination will be treated as a practice examination for students, and a diagnostic examination for teachers who have not seen their children for over a year.
The students have the option of writing the first mock examination in school under strict COVID-19 protocols, or have the examination papers uplifted from their respective schools, completed at home, and returned to the school to be marked by the teacher.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand
Additionally, a parent can decide that their child would not write this examination at all.
Considering the national situation regarding major flooding in the regions, the examination can also be written on other dates, but as close as possible to the scheduled dates.
The Ministry is also working on a solution that would allow students to take the paper one aspect of the mock examinations online using a platform provided by the Education Ministry.
The Ministry of Education is hoping that the second mock examination could be held in schools under strict examination guidelines in order to provide all students with the examination experience before sitting the NGSA in August in their respective schools.
Parents and teachers have also been told that it is not mandatory for students to be dressed in their school uniform when writing the mock examinations and the NGSA. However, students must be appropriately dressed, and there must be no writing printed on their clothing.
Over the coming days, each student would receive a Care Package containing face masks, vitamin support, hand sanitizer, and stationery items to be used when writing their two-day examination.
Teachers would also receive a Care Package containing face masks, face shield, vitamin support and hand sanitizer.
During the meetings, Minister Manickchand also encouraged parents and teachers to get vaccinated so that they can protect themselves and their loved ones from the effects of COVID-19. She said the more Guyanese that are vaccinated, the sooner the country can return to some form of normalcy.
