Recognising the poor performance of students in Mathematics at the CXC level, the Ministry of Education has launched a Math Intervention Initiative.

As part of the effort, students preparing to write their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams, as well as their teachers and parents will now have access to a Mathematics WhatsApp Helpline to address issues related to Mathematics, according to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand.

“We have established a hotline where you can call 736-MATH for anybody to write in to us if they have a particular problem, whether its about if teachers ain’t teaching, if they don’t have a Math teacher, if the Math teacher herself needs some help. We are using technology fully to make sure we blend the two and maximize the use of both, and so there are going to be Math lessons twice a week and more if we think it is necessary on The Learning Channel at a schedule time”, Minister Manickchand stated.

The Education Minister noted that the poor showing in Mathematics among students is just not a Guyana problem, but it is also a Caribbean and global problem. She said while CARICOM is seeking to address the situation at the level of the Caribbean Examinations Council, the Guyana Government has opted to move ahead with its own plans.

“The world has a problem with Mathematics and English, and that has been written about and spoken about. Guyana has to deal with both and not necessarily while we wait on our Caribbean counterparts to put up a solution”, the Minister of Education said.

As part of the Mathematics intervention, special Math programmes will be broadcast on The Learning television channel as well as EDU FM radio, a special website has been created with resource material for the subject and schools are being encouraged to allow increased time for Math classes.

Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain at the launching this morning said additional resources will be made available to students in Grades 10 and 11.

“I am very happy about one particular resource, which is the compilation of the past papers, but not necessarily by years, but by topics. So as you open the booklet, you have all the fractions, questions together, you have all the relations, functions, and graphs. You have all the matrixes, and vectors and in addition, you also have all the solutions. So you work the question, and then you check to see whether your answer is right or wrong”, Mr. Hussain said.

He further stated that the intervention, is not just about providing resources, but will also be pragmatic in the way the problem will be addressed. Mr. Hussain said it is difficult for him to understand the problem as a math teacher, but understands the need for the intervention at every level.

The Education Ministry is expected to launch a promotion blitz to ensure information about the various initiatives reaches parents and their children across the country.

This year, Guyana recorded a decline in the overall pass rate for Mathematics. More than 65% of students who wrote the subject at the CSEC level were unable to secure a pass grade. The situation is similar in many other Caribbean countries where the same CXC exam is administered.

Related posts:

Morning classes only and increased teaching times part of new policy to improve Mathematics grades Education Ministry launches new series of Primary textbooks for Mathematics and Social Studies Education Ministry to unveil free extra lessons to combat learning loss; No plan to close schools again Education Ministry to roll out At Home learning initiative as schools remain closed