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MONTEGO BAY, St James:

The Education Minister Ronald Thwaites is reporting that this year's mathematics scores in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) have declined by an average four per cent.

The Minister is to provide more details in Parliament this afternoon.

But he said while Jamaica is on the path of success in all other subjects for which teachers and parents must be commended, the score in Maths was not favourable. 

"That is a shame," he said a short while ago during the plenary session on education at the Sixth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference.

"I take full responsibility for it but we have to do something about it.  What are we going to do? We have got to take those students who have not done well in Mathematics but are going into a secondary education in September and catch them and remediate them now before they start the curriculum for high school and change around the spiral of failure."

Thwaites continued: "One of our problems in Jamaica now is to inculcate a love of Maths.  Maths counts.  Maths does count..." 

The Minister suggested that members of the Diaspora could assist the students by providing Mathematics camps, supported by other students in the Jamaican Diaspora.

The GSAT results are to be released to schools tomorrow.