Ministry Takes Steps to Improve Literary and Numeracy at Primary Level

Education Minister, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, said the Government will be seeking to implement a number of remedial steps to improve numeracy and literacy skills at the primary level, which will come on stream in September.

The Minister made the announcement at a press conference held at his National Heroes Circle offices on Jan. 31 to reveal the results of the Grade Four Numeracy Test.

The test, administrated in June 2011, showed an eight per cent improvement over the previous year’s figures, with 49 per cent of candidates achieving mastery. Some 29 per cent achieved almost mastery, while approximately 22 per cent did not master the test areas.

Minister Thwaites, while welcoming the improvements, told journalists that he is not satisfied with the results.

“The results that we have here are simply not good enough. If we discuss transformation, if we discuss human resource development, if we are treating with the advance towards prosperity and human satisfaction, there is no comfort when we know that half of our children at grade four are not achieving mastery in basic numeracy,” he lamented. “It is going to put a cramp on every other area of development, unless we correct it,” he added.

He assured, however, that the Ministry is laying the foundation to correct the apparent deficiencies in numeracy skills among primary school students. “There is zeal in this Ministry to ensure that, that is changed. This is a most aggravating deficit and we are laying the foundation to correcting it,” he stated.

Rev. Thwaites said that particular focus must be placed on the development of a programme of educational orientation from birth to three years, to ensure that the early childhood experience produces a better result and a greater readiness for the instruction that takes place in primary school.

“Half of children leaving the early childhood experience are not ready for primary school. This is what leads to the results you are hearing this morning, improved though they be,” he pointed out.

He said the Ministry will also be working to integrate programmes, including the use of information technology and other forms of the mass media into the teaching of the principles of numeracy. “We need to inculcate a flexibility towards numbers, towards spatial distinctions. All of this can be done within existing resources, if we all corporate,” the minister stated.

The Minister further informed that special focus will be placed on the training of teachers. “Continuing professional development for our teachers is no longer an option, it is a necessity if we are going to overcome this deficit and maintain the hearty improvement, which the results this year indicate,” he stated.    

A total of 45,769 students from public and private primary schools across the island sat the  2010/2011 test, compared to 46,336 in 2009/2010. As in the previous year, there were almost as many females, as there were males sitting the test – 51 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively.

Of the students, who sat the test in 2009/2010, 41 per cent achieved mastery, while 32 per cent achieved almost mastery and 27 per cent, non-mastery.

Data provided by the Ministry showed that of the 22,511 students, who achieved mastery in June, 58 per cent or 13,163 were females, while 42 per cent or 9,347 were males, compared to 59 per cent females and 41 per cent males of the 19, 296 students, who achieved mastery in 2009/2010.

The test was taken by students from 790 of the 792 public schools across the island, representing 40, 962 students. Of the total, approximately 46 per cent achieved mastery, 31 per cent almost mastery, and 23 per cent non-mastery.

While the number of students, who sat the test from public schools decreased this year, the percentage of those achieving mastery increased by eight percentage points.

By Athaliah Reynolds, JIS Reporter