Region One records improved performance at NGSA

As several regions throughout Guyana carburate the achievements made by their grade six
students at this year’s NGSA, several are celebrating their successes. Regional Education Officer
(REdO) of Region One, Nigel Richards said that while they are somewhat satisfied with the
overall performance of this year’s students, he firmly believes that the impact of the COVID 19
would have contributed.
Richards speaking to www.aroundtheregions.com said that his region continues to see significant
improvement, noting that some six years ago when he first took up the post the general
performance was very low at the time. He disclosed that over the years they have been
significant improvements with several of the students garnering 500 and more from the exams.
REdO Richards related that there was improvement in all the subject areas. Region One secured
16.9 percent in Mathematics this year an improvement from the 15.6 percent they secured last
year.  In English they secured 29.8 pass last year but with a marked improvement they got 32.1
this year.  For Science they recorded yet another increase as for 2019 they only secured 14.5 in
2019 and for 2020 they returned a 16.3 percent pass rate. In Social Studies they completed
improvement in all four subject areas, securing 11. 6 percent last year with this year the students
securing 19.5 percent.
Richards expressed confidence that the results would have been much better this year but
identified the COVID pandemic as reasons for several challenges. “We improved last year in all
the subject areas and while it wasn’t very significant, there was an improvement,” he said.
The Region One REdO went on to state that being in a riverrain region, they would have
encountered increased difficulties and challenges. He stated that his department is working
closely with the Central Ministry as they seek to ensure that adequate systems are put in place.
He argued considering his region has the second highest rate of COVID infection the teaching
staff, parents and students should be commended for what he dubbed as an excellent
performance this year.
“We are the region with the second highest rate of COVID 19 cases and if you were to look at
our population then per capita we have the highest rate of infection. This disease has impacted on
almost every household as everybody knows someone who got infected, especially in the
Moruca and Santa Rosa Primary and secondary teachers and students were infected by COVID.
This obviously had adverse effects on their performance, but we are satisfied that there were
improvements,” he said.
Richards disclosed that while the region is a riverrain community, they continue to access radio,
television, and internet. He noted that for the internet it continues to be very expensive,
considering the fact that data goes very quickly.
He spoke about some of the systems being implemented. “Currently we are trying to put systems
in place to ensure that come 2021 we would see the students doing better. While we have radio,
television and internet to some extent, several of our students are still disadvantaged because

economically it is very challenging for some. We remain determined that despite our limited
access especially to the internet in some areas our parents, teachers and students are determined
to excel,” he concluded.