Bisnauth blames teachers at UG for poor CXC performance
TEACHERS attending the University of Guyana (UG) during school hours have been blamed for children's poor performance at examinations. Education Minister Dr. Dale Bisnauth, delivering the feature address at the graduation ceremony of Tutorial High School Thursday, bemoaned the low percentage of passes in Mathematics at the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) tests. Teachers must act more responsibly, the Minister said. Headmaster of the school, Mr. Zameer Baksh, reported a 33 per cent pass in Mathematics at last year's CXC tests. "Teachers must realise that they teach human beings. The subjects they teach are there to exercise their (students) minds in the process of problem-solving, to make decisions and to think critically," the Minister continued. "There are lots of teachers who don't do that; instead they pursue ambitions for higher learning at the University of Guyana and they do that at the expense of the nation's children. When they are supposed to deliver...they are attending an institute of higher learning," Bisnauth reiterated. According to the Minister, this is an extremely serious situation and a matter of concern. He said the passes in Mathematics are very disappointing, and the figures indicate that students "do not grasp the principles which have to do with problem- solving. They do not know how to crunch numbers," Dr. Bisnauth added. With the new millennium fast approaching, the Minister said, education must cater for young people to grapple with the realities of globalisation. "If you can't function in the world of the 21st century, you are in serious trouble," he said. Minister Bisnauth also urged the graduands to remain in the country of their birth and to contribute to its development. "This country is your country and there is nowhere like the place where you were born. Economic development depends upon you who are equipped with a number of skills," he stated. The Minister also appealed to schoolgirls, who leave school and "navigate the town in minibuses and enjoy hard rock music" to desist from this practice and to think seriously about their academic goals. (Stacey Davidson)
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