Chief Education Officer Dr. Jeffrey Blaize is of the view that despite the gains that were made in the Grade 6 National Assessment (G6NA) Examination in the past, the format has become obsolete.
He was delivering remarks during the release of the G6NA results held at the Alliance Francaise recently.
“Notwithstanding the gains that were made in national assessment over the past years, particularly with respect to grade six national assessment, we will agree that the examination that is, the Grade 6 National Examination in its current structure has far outlived its purpose–that is, the purpose for which it was intended, ” he said.
Dr. Blaize continued, “The degree of anxiety which is placed on students at a tender age, and even on their parents and the teachers, should not be an outcome of any education system.”
Consequently, in keeping with the objectives of education reform, he noted that moving forward, there will be a different structure, as well as a different purpose for some of the examinations.
“We want to assure the general public that we will continue listening to our stakeholders,” he stated.
Over a week ago the Ministry of Education held a series of engagements with stakeholders, primarily principals at various primary schools, senior teachers, as well as PTA representatives.
“And from the meetings, we got really, really good feedback and we’re looking forward to engaging the remainder of our stakeholders,” he explained.
Dr. Blaize went on to state that opportunities must be provided for students to speak and read both at home and at school.
“We have also concluded that school effectiveness relies heavily on effective school management and leadership. I will use this medium once again to reiterate the indicators of overall student success and among these are the student’s ability to converse and to read at an early age,” he emphasized. “This means that opportunities must be provided for students to speak and to read both at home and at school.”
The education officer also pointed out that reading remains the key to overall literacy development and therefore, “there is no substitute to reading.”
He believes that teachers’ effectiveness and continuing professional development assist in effective classroom delivery and improve learning.
Moreover, he asserted that management effectiveness is critical for school success and therefore the role of the school principal remains critical to effective management.
“And as we often advise in the Ministry of Education, parental involvement in the life of a student that includes the student’s educational life is non-negotiable,” he noted. “This means that it is, as we often say, compulsory.”
Meanwhile, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Blaize commended the principals and teachers from the various schools on the island for their excellent work over the past years, as well as the staff of the Ministry of Education, the supervision support, and other staff for, “ensuring that we coordinate education activities, teaching and learning, and provide the requisite supervision.”
He also commended the parents and guardians for working closely with the ministry to ensure that the students succeed.
“We also appreciate the work of our partners in education, the corporate entities, helping the schools tirelessly to achieve their objectives, as well as other stakeholders in education. But most importantly, I want to thank our students who wrote the grade six national assessment in 2025 this year for their diligence, for their determination, and for their resilience throughout the [seven] years at primary school,” Blaize said.
Anxiety???? Wowww, well Dominican are anxious every day they wake up, not knowing where their meal is coming from.
Anxiety, because of the abuse of our young girls and women from those ages n authority.
There’s a lot more I can add to the story.
But, frankly, we need the JSP program back, since most young people should be involved in technical and vocational education/ training programs, all for the good of our country.
Most schools have between 1 to 15 students on average that sits the grade 6 exams knowing they all will automatically enter secondary schools.
With such a small number of students sitting the exam, and Dominica small population, why don’t we prepare our children at this early stage for future of Dominica. Dominica need those skills in agriculture, manufacturing etc. to make us sustainable.
This exam should have been done away with 25 years ago.
The Grade 6 National Assessment is colonial hand-me-down that should have been abolished years ago. It serves no useful purpose. Like all intelligence tests, it cannot measure creativity. A creative answer is marked as nought. At that tender age, creative needs to be nurtured above all else.
My DNO commentary “Life Beyond Common Entrance” is relevant.
It seems that there is some sort of deliberate & calculated plan to see how quick a generation of SPINELESS, SOFT, MENTALLY-WEAK children can be raised these days. Anxiety before Grade 6 exams? Oh please, give me a break. Since when anxiety before an exam is something so strange?
Just now, somebody will claim CXC, college & university exams are causing too much anxiety & to abandon them as well. What will be the new grading scheme? To let children/students gather around in a circle on their last day of school and recite their ABCs? But then again, somebody might claim that is too harsh & will cause the students too much anxiety as well.
Everybody has some level of anxiety before undertaking a major challenge. It’s how one deals with/control these feelings and press on wards that is key. These children should be taught from early how to confront challenges eg exams, how to endure and persevere.
P.S. – Who put a halt to the JSP program at primary schools? Why?
@Channel Zero
Your grammar is perfect, your spelling is correct, your message is nonsense – talking profusely but saying absolutely NOTHING.
We need to revamp the entire education system. The system does not cater enough to test a child’s critical thinking or creative skills. It does not bring to the fore the latent talents of the student.
What is needed more in this modernity is more emphasis on vocational education. Too much stress is placed on academic prowess of the child. If the student is not academically inclined in the present system frustration and defeatism get the better of him.
We need a paradigm shift in education. Let’s move away from the talk and chalk; from the rote learning. Have ongoing training to create Master teachers,. Equip the school with adequate resources. Create the school plant with an environment conducive to learning. Differentiated instructions must be practised in the classroom where there is a wide disparity in academic abilities. Go…
@Channel One
What you say here will have zero effect in what is to come. This exam has outlived its time, and it has to change like yesterday.
Totally agree with you doctor Blaize.
The sooner this thing is replaced, the better.
It’s better late than never. We are never leaders, but followers languishing af the bottom if the barrel.
Let’s see how long it takes!
MEME