‘NGSA result does not determine your worth’- Min. Manickchand

This year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) results revealed a very tight race among the candidates countrywide. Minister of Education, Hon. Priya Manickchand noted that the outcome did not define their status but was simply a starting point in their lives.

“The reality is that there are 120 seats at Queen’s College, Bishop’s High School, St. Stanislaus College, St. Rose and St. Joseph High School. [What] we say here does not determine who you are; it does not define who you are, it does not determine whether you are smart or not but it is really that we cannot fix more children into these schools,” she stated at yesterday’s announcement of the NGSA results.

Using Anna Regina Multilateral and Brickdam Secondary School and others as examples of where previous top CXC students studied, the Education Minister said that it does not matter which school they were assigned to as long as they are dedicated and hardworking.

“We (government) promised that our quality and standards in schools across this country will improve; we have no choice…textbooks and teachers will be made available because at this moment we do not have the kind of equality we need across secondary schools, that will change. Unfortunately, that cannot be changed this year but you can do well wherever you go.”

It was noted that while 14,730 students were registered for this year’s examination, only 14,032 sat it.

Chief Education Officer (CEO) Dr Marcel Hutson said that this year’s NGSA results revealed improved performances in English, Science and Social Studies and a slight decline in Mathematics.

Some 61.2 and 53 per cent of the candidates secured 50 per cent in English and Social Studies as opposed to 57.4 and 39 per cent respectively in 2019.

“All administrative regions recorded improvements in the number of candidates securing 50 per cent and more in English- Region 3- 63.4 per cent, Region 6- 57.5 per cent, Region 10-71.9 per cent and Georgetown- 78.9 per cent….same goes for Social Studies where we see Region 7 moved from 21 per cent recording 50 per cent and more in 2019 to 30.8 per cent while Region 5 recorded 49.2 per cent in 2020 opposed to 42.4 per cent in 2019.”

The CEO said that Mathematics, however, dipped from 42 per cent gaining 50 per cent and more in 2019 to 39.4 per cent in 2020. In Science 44.1 per cent of the candidates gained 50 per cent and more in 2020 compared to 42.4 per cent in 2019.

The highest possible standardised scores obtainable were Mathematics – 136, English – 129, Social Studies – 128, and Science- 135, for a total of 528.

Dr Hutson said this year’s results were a testimony to the work of the ministry, parents and the monitors placed in the school system.

“We are in a good place now and what is important is the support of every stakeholder moving forward.”