A decision was made by the Ministry of Education to cancel the National Grades Two, Four and Nine Assessments and the placement examination in 2021 in light of the ongoing negative effects of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Guyana.
This is according to Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr Marcel Hutson, who in a video released by the Ministry on Thursday (yesterday) stated that such a decision was as a result of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector.
“We recognise the hardships our students have been facing in terms of their readiness and preparedness for these examinations and we also recognise the need for us to also ensure that our students are safe,” Dr Hutson said last evening.
HGP Nightly News understands that remigrant learners would be placed in appropriate List ‘A’ and List ‘B’ Secondary schools near their homes.
Dr Hutson noted that the Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) and the Regional Education Officers (REOs) are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the process is carried out with the greatest degree of efficiency and effectiveness.
Meanwhile, in relation to the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), the dates remain at August 4 and August 5, 2021.
Last month, the Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, had acknowledged that some 14,300 Grade Six students would be writing the Assessment this year which is an increase of 2020’s 14,032 candidates who sat the exam.
The Minister had also noted that if students were unable to sit the exams, the normal procedure of placing them based on the average of the Region would be in effect.
