Pride News Canada's Leader In African Canadian & Caribbean News, Views & Lifestyle
New York City, New York June 12, 2020 — The lockdown and other measures to address COVID 19, have resulted is an ongoing struggle for Caribbean students, who are preparing for the Secondary School Exam/National Grade Six Assessment.
Students lacking Internet access are at a greater disadvantage, without the online resources made available by various Ministries of Education and other stakeholders.
Families, teachers and their trade unions are stridently objecting to students writing the exam as scheduled — July to October — because of lack of preparation; fears for the safety of students and teachers; difficulty of accessing transportation, to and from school; and other related issues, as well as the attendant mental health fallout.
In response to this situation, a team of students and teachers, from various universities in the United States, have partnered with The Caribbean Voice (TCV) — a New York-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) — to provide much-needed access to free study materials, in preparation for the exam.
The collaborative team, known as the Caribbean Education Project (CEP), has published learning resources, accessible via an online platform.
CEP is distributing printed copies of these resources, implementing novel file-sharing solutions to communities that lack internet access, and providing live support, through Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, to those requiring additional assistance.
CEP and TCV are looking for local contacts to advise on the best means of developing and distributing the resources, and to assist in making the resources, as widely available as possible.
Also CEP and TCV are seeking businesses willing to provide free, or low-cost, printing and distribution of the printed materials to students in need of them. Meanwhile schools and teachers are urged to access and use the materials to help their students prepare for the exam.
Ministries of education, across the Caribbean, are encouraged to utilize the resources, to supplement what is currently being offered, as well as suggest any changes to maximize the impact of the resources.
For more information, or to become a local partner, please reach out to: CEP’s Shawn Shivdat, via Facebook Messenger, or +14044069638 via WhatsApp; or to TCV, via email, at caribvoice@aol.com or Annan Boodram on Facebook Messenger, or 646-461-0574 on What’sApp.
To access to the free examination preparation materials, visit caribed.org.
