With more children writing NGSA, additional school space needed

More than 16,000 children wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) earlier this year and now, there is a need for additional space in secondary schools to accommodate these students.

This is according to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education Alfred King who noted that efforts to secure additional space in schools are underway.

King, while speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an event on Thursday, explained that there were about 4,000 additional pupils writing the NGSA this year.

He noted that this is a positive development because it signals that more children are staying in school and completing their primary school education.

To accommodate the growing number of children moving into secondary schools, King related that additional spaces are being established in some schools. At Queen’s College, for example, a new building is being constructed.

He also explained that more children are being placed in schools than the usual quota. Other initiatives are being pursued by King also said that those plans will be revealed by Education Minister Priya Manickchand.

Nevertheless, he assured, “Come the third (of October), we are expecting that all the learners will be placed in schools.”

First Form/ Grade Seven students will start attending secondary school classes from October 3rd, after the results of this year’s NGSA were announced earlier in September.