Format of assessment replacing SSEE next year still being finalised
Sunday, March 5th 2006
The format of the National Level Six Assessment which will be replacing the Secondary Schools Entrance Examinations (SSEE) next year is still being finalised, although an announcement is expected on it in the near future.
In the meantime, teachers preparing level five students for the National Level Six Assessment, are unclear precisely what they should be teaching in preparation for the new exam.
Two SSEE teachers, who prefer anonymity, told this newspaper that they were working with the students partly based on the traditional SSEE, because they had been given no detailed information about the new assessment, although they had been exposed to some "orientation."
One teacher said that being innovative, her classroom instruction was also inspired by the experience of the level two and level four assessments, which provided a possible idea of what they could expect.
Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Develop-ment (NCERD) Mohandat Goolsarran told Stabroek News that the centre was still working on the format and the specifics of the new level assessments, and information about them would be released at a press conference the Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education would hold some time in the near future.
Ministry of Education Communi-cations Specialist Caroline Kennedy told Stabroek News that the level six format would be similar to that of the National Grade Nine (form three) Examinations which is written in the secondary schools. It was expected, Kennedy said, that the National Level Six Assessment would have both practical and oral components like the national levels two (Prep B) and four (Primary Two) assessments.
Goolsarran explained that unlike the current system under the SSEE where children were placed in schools based on their performance at a one-off examination at the end of their primary schooling, the child would be given a ranking and allocated a place in certain secondary schools based not only on the Level Six Assessment, but also on the Level Two and Level Four Assess-ments. This, he said would apply from 2007 when the SSEE would no longer be used as a placement examination.
While 27 secondary schools, including President's College, in the ten administrative regions have been identified as the schools of choice for the high achievers throughout the country, it is expected that the vast majority would be placed in schools in their catchment area.
The schools identified as 'Category A Schools' are North West Secondary in Region One (Barima/ Waini); Anna Regina Multilateral in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam); West Demerara Secondary and Zeeburg Secondary in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands); Annandale Secondary, Bishops' High, Brickdam Secondary, Central High, Christ Church Secondary, Covent Garden Secondary, North Georgetown Secondary, Queen's College, Richard Ishmael Secon-dary, St Joseph's High, St Rose's High, St Stanislaus College and Tutorial High in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica); Mahaicony Secondary in Region Five (Mahaica/ West Berbice); Berbice High, JC Chandisingh Secondary, New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary and Skeldon Line Path Secondary in Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne); Bartica Secondary in Region Seven (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni); Paramakatoi Secondary in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni); St Ignatius Secondary in Region Nine (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu) and Mackenzie High in Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice).
At last year's sitting of the SSEE the Ministry of Education had tasked the National Data Management Agency (NDMA) with producing the traditional results and placement for the SSEE as well as a parallel list showing the allocations for Regions Three, Four (including Georgetown) and Six by the new method to go along with the National Level Six Assessment.
The parallel list was to be scrutinised for any deficiency both by the central Ministry of Education and the Regional Education Depart-ments, so that problems could be rectified before the new system came on stream this year, "when only one list, consisting of the new arrangements, will be produced," a Ministry of Education release had announced.
The 'Category B' schools, although not listed, would be the other secondary schools throughout the country where children would be automatically placed based on where they lived.
Goolsarran said that a child would have the option of not taking up a place offered in a 'Category A' school if the parents or guardians requested that he or she attend a school in the vicinity of their home.
Among the reasons the education ministry had given for the change was that the old arrangements combining pupils' scores and parents' choice of school often resulted in the children being placed far from home. This posed transportation difficulties for some students, resulting in unpunctuality and absences.
Kennedy said that the objective of the new placement method was to bring all secondary schools on a par with each other so that there would be quality across the board.
Three new secondary schools are to be built under the Inter-American Development Bank and Guyana Government-funded Basic Educa-tion, Access and Management Support (BEAMS) project.
The new schools are to be built at Diamond on the East Bank Demerara (Region Four); Aurora on the Essequibo Coast (Region Two) and at Bartica (Region Seven). Additionally, she noted that under the same BEAMS project, five secondary schools would undergo extensive rehabilitation. It is projected that these schools would be equipped with up-to-date facilities including new science and computer laboratories.
The schools are the Tutorial High, Charlestown Secon-dary, North Riumveldt Multilateral and Lodge Secondary in George-town, and the Bladen Hall Multila-teral on the East Coast Demerara. (Miranda La Rose)
Sunday, March 5th 2006
The format of the National Level Six Assessment which will be replacing the Secondary Schools Entrance Examinations (SSEE) next year is still being finalised, although an announcement is expected on it in the near future.
In the meantime, teachers preparing level five students for the National Level Six Assessment, are unclear precisely what they should be teaching in preparation for the new exam.
Two SSEE teachers, who prefer anonymity, told this newspaper that they were working with the students partly based on the traditional SSEE, because they had been given no detailed information about the new assessment, although they had been exposed to some "orientation."
One teacher said that being innovative, her classroom instruction was also inspired by the experience of the level two and level four assessments, which provided a possible idea of what they could expect.
Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Develop-ment (NCERD) Mohandat Goolsarran told Stabroek News that the centre was still working on the format and the specifics of the new level assessments, and information about them would be released at a press conference the Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education would hold some time in the near future.
Ministry of Education Communi-cations Specialist Caroline Kennedy told Stabroek News that the level six format would be similar to that of the National Grade Nine (form three) Examinations which is written in the secondary schools. It was expected, Kennedy said, that the National Level Six Assessment would have both practical and oral components like the national levels two (Prep B) and four (Primary Two) assessments.
Goolsarran explained that unlike the current system under the SSEE where children were placed in schools based on their performance at a one-off examination at the end of their primary schooling, the child would be given a ranking and allocated a place in certain secondary schools based not only on the Level Six Assessment, but also on the Level Two and Level Four Assess-ments. This, he said would apply from 2007 when the SSEE would no longer be used as a placement examination.
While 27 secondary schools, including President's College, in the ten administrative regions have been identified as the schools of choice for the high achievers throughout the country, it is expected that the vast majority would be placed in schools in their catchment area.
The schools identified as 'Category A Schools' are North West Secondary in Region One (Barima/ Waini); Anna Regina Multilateral in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam); West Demerara Secondary and Zeeburg Secondary in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands); Annandale Secondary, Bishops' High, Brickdam Secondary, Central High, Christ Church Secondary, Covent Garden Secondary, North Georgetown Secondary, Queen's College, Richard Ishmael Secon-dary, St Joseph's High, St Rose's High, St Stanislaus College and Tutorial High in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica); Mahaicony Secondary in Region Five (Mahaica/ West Berbice); Berbice High, JC Chandisingh Secondary, New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary and Skeldon Line Path Secondary in Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne); Bartica Secondary in Region Seven (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni); Paramakatoi Secondary in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni); St Ignatius Secondary in Region Nine (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu) and Mackenzie High in Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice).
At last year's sitting of the SSEE the Ministry of Education had tasked the National Data Management Agency (NDMA) with producing the traditional results and placement for the SSEE as well as a parallel list showing the allocations for Regions Three, Four (including Georgetown) and Six by the new method to go along with the National Level Six Assessment.
The parallel list was to be scrutinised for any deficiency both by the central Ministry of Education and the Regional Education Depart-ments, so that problems could be rectified before the new system came on stream this year, "when only one list, consisting of the new arrangements, will be produced," a Ministry of Education release had announced.
The 'Category B' schools, although not listed, would be the other secondary schools throughout the country where children would be automatically placed based on where they lived.
Goolsarran said that a child would have the option of not taking up a place offered in a 'Category A' school if the parents or guardians requested that he or she attend a school in the vicinity of their home.
Among the reasons the education ministry had given for the change was that the old arrangements combining pupils' scores and parents' choice of school often resulted in the children being placed far from home. This posed transportation difficulties for some students, resulting in unpunctuality and absences.
Kennedy said that the objective of the new placement method was to bring all secondary schools on a par with each other so that there would be quality across the board.
Three new secondary schools are to be built under the Inter-American Development Bank and Guyana Government-funded Basic Educa-tion, Access and Management Support (BEAMS) project.
The new schools are to be built at Diamond on the East Bank Demerara (Region Four); Aurora on the Essequibo Coast (Region Two) and at Bartica (Region Seven). Additionally, she noted that under the same BEAMS project, five secondary schools would undergo extensive rehabilitation. It is projected that these schools would be equipped with up-to-date facilities including new science and computer laboratories.
The schools are the Tutorial High, Charlestown Secon-dary, North Riumveldt Multilateral and Lodge Secondary in George-town, and the Bladen Hall Multila-teral on the East Coast Demerara. (Miranda La Rose)
© Stabroek News
