Castries – The Barbados-based Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) expressed its concern on Monday at “the great number of students” leaving the education system without certification.
CXC registrar Dr Wayne Wesley said at the ceremony in St Lucia for the official release of May-June 2022 CXC regional examinations that it was moving towards developing a programme to deal with the situation.
“We will continue at the CXC to ensure that a nation that ought to be developed must be fostered through education and training, and we are currently working to ensure that we continue to provide opportunities for students to self-actualise and become their best self,” Wesley said.
“We are concerned that there are a great number of students leaving the education system without certification. Consequently, we have designed our citizenship and technical education certificate (CTEC), which is currently being piloted in Montserrat, and some other countries like Jamaica and Guyana.”
He said CTEC is geared towards inculcating strong moral character and life technical skills that will equip graduates with the skills necessary to perform in society.
“We are preparing students for the 21st century to take advantage of the economic opportunities that will come and in so doing experience a better quality of life,” he said. “Your dreams, your aspirations is what we are facilitating.”
Wesley said the CXC is committed to shaping the future of the region and despite the challenges encountered this year, including the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“CXC has delivered on its commitment to the people of the region to present results,” he said. “This commitment was possible because of the collective will and efforts of stakeholders within the region. All of us understanding our responsibility in executing accordingly.
“We understand that the dreams, and aspirations of the young people of this region rests with us and demand that we work collaboratively to support their ambitions”.
He said to do this, CXC and its stakeholders must at no time “seem to be confrontational, but instead we have to work collaboratively moving forward working together”.
Wesley told the students that regardless of the grades they received “it was only a moment in time and it does not define your final destiny”.
“Whatever you achieve now it is preparing you for greater things to come,” he said. “This initiation is igniting within you a passion for greatness, one that you will only achieve with constant dedication and commitment to your purpose in life.
“Education represents the key to transformation for most of us. Your dreams, your aspirations are important to be fostered, to be nurtured, and despite setbacks, knowing that every setback is a set-up for a greater comeback.”
The results released on Monday were for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC), and Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC).
CXC’s director of operations and examinations, Dr Nicole Manning said the issue of cheating was also an issue for the regional examination body.
“We did see a few irregularities and what we call hardships,” she said. “Now the irregularities are where we see the issue of cheating, collusion, cell phone usage.
“It is not something that you want to happen, but it happens and the only thing we could do at this point is to encourage our candidates to take note of what is not to be done. It is an opportunity for the 2023 group to take note of it and to improve.”
CXC was established in 1972 under agreement by the participating governments in Caricom and provides secondary school-leaving examinations that are relevant to the needs of the region and recognised regionally and internationally.
They also assist in common entrance and other types of examinations.
(CMC)