Eleven-plus students who are falling behind are being given the opportunity to catch up.
The Ministry of Community Development, in conjuction with the Ministry of Education, has launched a programme to help the students perform better.
Chief community development officer Sandra Greenidge said the National Lessons Assistance Programme (NLAP) has been introduced in nine primary schools as a pilot project. However, she added, there would be ongoing assessment through the education ministry to gauge the performance of participants.
Minister of Community Development Steve Blackett said he was pleased with the initiative which included 120 pupils from George Lamming Primary, Belmont Primary, Milton Lynch Primary, Westbury Primary, St John Primary, St Joseph Primary, Half Moon Fort Primary, St Lucy Primary and St Bartholomew’s Primary.
“This is a programme targeting primary schools students who are preparing for the Common Entrance Exam, the objective being to give them the additional support needed to enhance their performance in the identified examination,” said Blackett.
The programme began last November and at the end of the school year will be reviewed to determine its future.
The minister said some community centres would also be utilised to ensure the students get maximum benefit. The participants are taught by teachers for a two-hour period twice a week.
Meanwhile, Greenidge said she was happy with the feedback.
Principal of George Lamming Primary Barbara Grant explained that there were two sets of students attending lessons when the programme was introduced. However, there was another group which could not afford to pay for lessons.
“The teachers took the responsibility and they were giving these other children lessons free of cost,” Grant stated.
Principal Wendy Anthrobus, of the St John Primary, also praised the programme.
“We approach it differently because of the time factor. The teacher who is conducting the programme, collaborated with the class teacher and we looked at all the challenges that students are having with various topics in mathematics and language arts and those are the ones that we are focusing on on Saturday mornings,” she said. (PR)