Efforts Launched to Address Learning Loss

Many initiatives were taken and resources created to stem learning loss

By Stabroek News June 6, 2024 Dear Editor, We write in relation to a letter that appeared in the Stabroek News of 4th June 2024 written by J. Smith. In that letter the parent expresses concern about the consequences of the ongoing teacher strike on her children’s education. We understand the concern and are glad to see that a meeting between the Union and the Government is scheduled for Monday coming. We hope for a good outcome.

In their letter the parent said that the “[primary] curriculum …and exams … are set … without thinking of the massive learning loss that occurred during COVID lockdown…”

We wish to advise the parent and the nation at large that much thought went into the various actions taken by the Ministry of Education to repair and/or stem learning loss.

All current curricula from nursery to grade 9 were revised to cater for the predicted learning loss arising out of the COVID-19 lockdown and consequential absences of teachers and learners from schools. The revision ranged from, for example, consolidating all the curricula, removing matters that were considered superfluous (considering or relative to the crises we were trying to address) to reducing the scope of the NGSA and testing only up to a grade 5 level and even then only on a reduced curriculum, to most children in nursery, primary and grades 1-9 being exposed and taught subjects from one year lower than the current class in which they are sitting. We have introduced a national grade 5 test which we hope will serve as a diagnostic for teachers and parents. This was done so that the final year in primary school can be used to strengthen areas of weakness before entrance into high school.

Several reinforcement products were created by various departments of the Ministry of Education. We encourage parents to make themselves aware of these and to utilize them all as far as they can. Our scientifically acquired feedback is that they are all effective.

These include videos on each topic at each grade level at the primary school level that are available on the Guyana Learning Channel and their YOUTUBE channel. Radio lessons available on the radio EdYOU FM, worksheets for every week for every topic in every subject at every grade level from nursery and primary and most subjects up to grade 9 in secondary. A website where relevant questions for the grades 5 and 6 level are asked in a quiz format and the quizzes marked and sent back immediately with the correct answers where the learner did not quite get it right. All NGSA past papers and local texts are available on said website. Gameshows such as WhizzKids and Brainiacs were developed and published to allow for fun ways of learning crucial age-appropriate material. Additionally, all children in grades 5 and 6 have been given all the textbooks they need mirroring what the successful private primary schools sell to their parents. All other grades have received for personal usage by each child all the relevant textbooks that are available.

These are all new initiatives that were consciously established and implemented post COVID-19 on the insistence of and guidance by the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand who made us all acutely aware that the predictions of the harm of the COVID- 19 lockdown have to be met head-on with effective plans to minimize said loss and defy said predictions. The fact that we have not seen the predicted learning loss reflected in our local results at NGSA or regional results at CSEC and CAPE suggest strongly that our efforts have not been in vain and that they were effective.

We encourage all parents, teachers and students to use said resources. Personal and individual usage of these resources will benefit our children, your children, tremendously.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs. O. Ramdin

Director, NCERD