-circular out for cap on CSEC subjects

THE number of subjects that secondary school students write at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) examinations could be limited by the Ministry of Education (MoE).

According to circular letter sent to public secondary schools, it was explained that the ministry is exploring the possibility of enforcing an upward limit on the number of subjects being written by students at the CSEC examinations.

This limit would debar students of the senior secondary school, including the schools with sixth form, from writing no more than 10 subjects, while students from junior secondary schools would write no more than six subjects. This was confirmed by the Principal of the Bishop’s High, Winifred Ellis, who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle. The principal, along with other Headteachers, received the circular earlier this week as a proposal.

Discussions and debates on this proposal will occur at a later date at a Head teachers’ meeting, according to Ellis. This proposal comes several months after it was first floated by the Former Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine. It was reported then that Dr Roopnaraine was of the belief that students should have a more rounded education where they can be involved in activities like sports and drama. It was also reported in the media that Dr. Roopnaraine stressed that he wanted school to be a place of a “wider cultural experience” as opposed to concentrating on writing many subjects and having to attend numerous extra lessons.

However, many persons in response to the Former minister’s comments had highlighted a wide array of reasons for writing the number of subjects. Some argued that writing large number of subjects did not entirely result in a lack of extra-curricular activities, as the Former Minister would have expressed.