More schools may be added to the Vacation Revision Programme (VRP) to facilitate students on the North and South coasts who scored less than 50 per cent in the SEA examination.
Acting Senate leader Paula Gopee-Scoon confirmed this in the House on Monday.
She was replying to Independent Senator Paul Richards’ query on urgent remedial support being implemented ahead of the start of the new school year to assist the 63 per cent of students who scored less that 50 per cent in the recent SEA exams
Gopee-Scoon said it was globally recognised that online schooling isn’t a substitute for face-to-face school.
She said, “One of the most deleterious effects of prolonged school closure is the learning loss experienced by students, especially those at the early childhood and primary levels.
“The SEA 2022 results showed clear learning gaps with a marked increase in students achieving less than 30 per cent. This general decrease in performance is similar to global predictions of the learning loss and decreased performance of students associated with physical school closure.”
She said over 9,000 students scored less than 50 per cent in the 2022 SEA and won’t be adequately prepared for the secondary school system.
The Education Ministry is meeting the urgent need for their remedial instruction in a physical setting – on subjects like Mathematics, English Language Arts, English Language Arts Writing–with the VRP over July 18 to August 12. It was announced for 26 secondary schools in a face-to-face format.
“More schools may be added to facilitate students on the North and South coasts,” Gopee-Scoon said.
On UNC Senator Wade Mark’s query about the Ministry of Education’s plans to curb school violence/indiscipline, Gopee-Scoon said students and teachers‘ well-being is at the forefront of that ministry’s developmental goals.
