With a view to improving performance in secondary schools,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, the Ministry of Education has been engaging a number of innovative strategies.Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, met with heads of various secondary schools on Friday with a view of formulating additional measures to help boost the performance in various subject areas particularly the core areas of Mathematics and English.The meeting took the form of an interactive workshop which was held at the National Centre for Educational Resources Development (NCERD).?? The move, the Minister said, started out with discussions at the Central Ministry level which saw the low performance in mathematics being scrutinised. And it was discovered even then that the situation was one of serious concern thus the need for an urgent intervention.“What can we do? What changes or strategic programmes can we advance to correct the situation and see a significant improvement in Mathematics…Not in five or three years or even two years from now but next year?” Baksh queried.According to the Minister,Wholesale Jerseys, the Ministry already has a target outlined and therefore requires the support of head teachers if the desired result is to be realised.“We want to see a significant improvement in Mathematics. As you know,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, in the last Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination we had a 34 percent pass rate. We are not satisfied with that and we want to move that up significantly come next CSEC.”At the same time, the Minister said that it is expected that the satisfactory performance in English A remains constant even as he commended the efforts displayed by all secondary schools.He attributed the improvement in English A to good organising and good quality teaching which saw the pass rate moving from 50 percent last year to 59 percent this year.“Indeed it was an exemplary performance and we want to sustain that and we want to improve in all of the subject areas…”It was against this background, the Minister said, that a meeting was planned to look broadly at what is being done for secondary education in Guyana in order for a more holistic approach to be engaged.The Minister maintained, though,Cheap Stitched Jerseys, that secondary schools’ performance have been improving, particularly over the last three years, despite some criticisms that were highlighted in the media. “You can see it from the statistics, not only our performance at the CSEC, by receiving the top students award and the best performing students in Caricom for Business and Science but the data shows that we have been improving.”Baksh admitted that there are challenges, thus the need for collaboration with head teachers.He revealed that it has been observed that each secondary school seem to see itself as separate from the Ministry of Education thus the need to close the perceived gap.According to the Minister, it is required that secondary schools are seen as partners with the Ministry, a move he noted should be inculcated by both nursery and primary schools. “We have inherited a hierarchical structure in education historically and I have been trying to breakdown that arrangement which means a paradigm shift will have to be taken; a new mind set will have to come into play if we are to do that successfully.This means more accountability, greater autonomy in the schools while central ministry will lay down the policy guidelines and we have been doing that in consultation with stakeholders…”According to Baksh, many of the changes that have been introduced over the last two years have come about through consultations with heads across the country. One such outstanding intervention, the Minister said,Cheap Jerseys, is the six-year programme which came about as a result of a call by the heads of the schools in Region Six.“They were able to convince the Ministry that we should introduce a six year programme so we have been taking into account what your representations are.Similarly here today,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, as you speak out, we will factor in to changes in policy initiatives and programme developments. I can assure you this is the way we have been operating.”The Minister further asserted that “only by bringing you fully on board that we can achieve success and not by operating through an hierarchical system but by having you directly involved.”