CXC charts interesting, innovative course

–to give impetus to Caribbean education

PLANS are afoot at the Barbados-based Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to chart a new and innovative course in the interest of moving education forward in the Caribbean.That’s according to CXC Registrar, Dr. Didacus Jules, who told a press conference Friday at the end of a four-day meet here, that besides being “very productive,” the caucus produced very interesting and innovative plans to move education forward.
He further told reporters that as far as he was concerned, those changes of which he spoke, which followed a review of what had been done in the last five years, would positively impact education in the region.
Besides Dr Jules, among those present at the press conference, which was held in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel, were CXC Chairman, Professor Nigel Harris; its Pro-Registrar, Mr. Glenroy Cumberbatch; and its Assistant Registrar, Mr. Cleveland Sam. Present also were Permanent Secretary in Guyana’s Ministry of Education, Ms. Delma Nedd; and Chief Education Officer, Mr. Olato Sam.
Looking towards the 2014/2020 strategic plan, Dr. Jules noted that the Council will concentrate on three strategic objectives: Strengthening the CXC business model, securing financial stability, and delivering an enhanced stakeholder experience.
Describing the CXC as an IT intelligence organization that has begun to embrace technology, Dr. Jules painted a rosy picture of the future vision: Soon, students will be able to login to the CXC website to check their results. The registration process will be streamlined, and will be available Online.
By 2020, education will be totally shaped by students’ lifestyles. They will be able to access timetables, get tips for studying, upload their resumes and be linked with employers in a totally integrated system, write their exams online, and get the results on their mobile phones.
A process called e-marking will be introduced in the May/June 2014 sitting, when eleven papers in seven CSEC subjects will be e-marked. In the CESC January 2015 sitting, 22 papers will be e-marked, while 24 papers will be e-marked in the May-June 2016 sitting.
The quality of the e-marking will be monitored utilizing the same process as table marking, which includes chief examiners, table leaders and examiners.
Mr. Cumberbatch said the new envisaged education system will eliminate the present problem of graduates not being able to get work, as they will be able to create their own employment. They will be able to go from education to work, and create wealth for themselves and their families.
For example, students will be able to blog about specific topics right from their school laptops, and will be interacting with, and building relationships with, potential buyers, allowing them to learn about the business environment while they’re at school. This will later create a seamless transition from school to work, allowing them to create wealth for themselves and their families.
The priority is no longer as it was in the past: to look at producing the highest marks; but rather, to raise the number of students who gain the required competencies that will allow them to make a successful living once they graduate.
Responding to a question from a reporter on why Maths and English results have still not improved, despite their being recognized as a problem for a number of years, Dr. Jules said that results in education are not seen immediately. He explained that some students’ problems start at preschool, and because they are not dealt with there, the problems continue into high school and college. Despite this, the registrar noted, more students passed English and Maths, although top marks may not necessarily reflect it.
He added that the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) assessments found that foundational competencies showed upward trends in mastering Maths and English.
According to Mr. Cumberbatch, an accelerated effort is required by all, parents and media, including newspapers and radio, when it comes to helping students improve their English, by making sure that they use proper grammar.
It was also revealed at the press conference that the council approved a budget of 50.5 million Barbadian dollars, and a total expenditure of 50.3 Barbadian dollars to provide for key areas, including syllabus development and maintenance, examinations preparation and administration, business development, technology renewal, human resource management, research, development and marketing, and stakeholder relationship.
The CXC officials further revealed that they had paid courtesy calls to various government officials as well as to members of the Parliamentary opposition, where they had been warmly welcomed.
They expressed their gratitude to the Government, the opposition, and to the people of Guyana for extending them that facility.

(By Jimmy Roos)