Ministry searching for science formula

The Ministry of Education is looking for the formula to ensure that students’ poor performance in Science stops.

A visibly concerned Chief Education Officer, Susan Dougan, who herself taught Chemistry and Biology at the Girls’ High School for many years, admitted that performance in science subject leaves much to be desired.{{more}}

This has been so for some time now.

At a press briefing last Tuesday, September 4, Dougan told journalists that only a few students have been excelling in the sciences, with the rest only average and below.

She stressed the importance of the foundation in science saying: “As I have said to teachers and to students, it is very important for students to have a good grasp of the conceptual approach to the learning of that subject.”

So how does the Ministry unravel the puzzle?

Dougan said that several teachers are being exposed to opportunities to gain up to their BSc degree in Chemistry, Biology, Physics and even Mathematics.

This, she explained, is facilitated under the Basic Education Project (BEP), which is being financed through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank.

The $59 million project is being used to build capacity in all areas of the education sector.

The teaching of sciences has been identified as a crucial aspect of the sector that is in need of an urgent injection.

The project, which began in 2005, and is scheduled for completion in 2010, includes the training of teachers and the building of schools, among other things.

Minister of Education Girlyn Miguel also expressed her concern about the performance in the sciences.

She announced government’s decision to, in addition to the annual National Scholarships, offer “Exhibitions to the best performers in this field (science), in cases where they fail to qualify for National Scholarships.”

This, she explained, is aimed at maintaining students’ interest in science.

Minister Miguel also announced the reset benchmark for National Scholarships.

Persons wishing to win a national scholarship in the future must now obtain at least a grade B in each of three A Levels or their equivalent at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), and at least a grade two in Communication Studies or Caribbean Studies.

The benchmark up to this year was a grade C for A Levels and grade 3 for CAPE.