THE Ministry of Education has received an estimated cost to have the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Examinations, Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), sittings done on alternative dates due to the upcoming General and Regional Elections slated for May 11. Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, yesterday spoke with the Guyana Chronicle, alluding to the fact that the ministry is in receipt of the approximate cost for the rescheduling of the CSEC and CAPE examinations. Minister Manickchand explained: “We’re in the process of working out the details with CXC and most of our deliberations have been concluded. There are some provisional costs so far and the ministry will offer an update on these developments very soon.”
On January 26, during a press conference held at the National Centre for Education Research and Development (NCERD), Minister Manickchand, joined by the Registrar of CXC, Glenroy Cumberbatch and other senior education officers, informed the media that the new dates for the examinations which should have been written on May 11th and 12th, 2015, are now scheduled to be written on June 15th and 16th, 2015, respectively.
She explained that at all times during the discussions and deliberations; the ministry’s paramount consideration was the best interests of candidates. She said the Ministry of Education is “always keen to ensure that examinations are conducted in a smooth and effective manner,” through consultations with the CXC and other stakeholders.
The Education Minister also assured the media that despite the fact Guyanese candidates will be sitting the exams at a later date; their results will be available on time with the rest of the Region.
“CXC will mark all scripts and issue results at the same time the CXC/CAPE results were originally scheduled to be delivered. CXC will officially inform the candidates about this change in timetable. The Ministry of Education shall also take all necessary steps to ensure each and every candidate is informed of the timetable change,” Manickchand told reporters yesterday.
CXC’s Registrar Glenroy Cummerbatch also added to the discussion, stressing that “the principal concern was to ensure that these candidates who registered to write CSEC and CAPE, had the opportunity to write them in the conditions that they would normally write day-to-day.”
He explained that if schools were to be used as polling stations on the same day, it would mean that the two activities would have been competing. Therefore, it was necessary to ensure that the candidates are not disadvantaged in anyway, he said.
CSEC exams scheduled for June 15 at 9:00 am: Agricultural Science (double award) – Paper 2, Agricultural Science (Single award) – Paper 2, Theatre Arts – Paper 1; and at 1:00 pm: Electrical and Electronic Technology – Paper 1 and Food and Nutrition – Paper 2.
CAPE exams scheduled for the same day at 9:00 am: Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Drawing Unit 1 – Paper 2, History Unit 1 – Paper 2 and Art and Design Unit 1 and 2 – Paper 2 and 3; and at 1:00 pm: Communications Studies – Paper -2 .
CSEC exams scheduled for June 16 at 9:00 am: Home Economics: Management – Paper 2, and Technical Drawing – Paper 2; and at 1:00 pm: Electrical and Electronic Technology – Paper 2. CAPE exams scheduled for the same day at 9:00 am: French Unit 2 – Paper 2 and Environmental Science Unit 2 – Paper 2; and at 1:00 pm: Pure Mathematics Unit 1 – Paper 2 and Agricultural Science Unit 2 – Paper 2.