-CEO CXC, Wayne Wesley says absence of paper two, extension on submission of SBAs to ease anxiety of students

WITH some 30,000 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and 120,000 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) students set to write examinations in July, the primary concern of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is the health of the learners and its staffers.

This was disclosed by Dr Wayne Wesley, the Registrar and CEO of CXC, on Thursday, during a press briefing with reporters from the Caribbean region.
“In respect to health and safety, I want to point out that it is the number one propriety of the examinations council to ensure the safety and the well-being of stakeholders, during these unprecedented times”, Dr. Wesley stated.

Additionally, Wesley noted that all stakeholders will be following all the precautionary measures and guidelines set out by the health officials.

“All examination centres and invigilators will follow the guidelines of national health protocols relating to social distancing, the wearing of mask and sanitisation.”
Taking into consideration the wellness and the mental health of candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic, the council stated that such could be affected, adversely. With that awareness in focus, the council has rolled out several systems to ease the stress during the health crisis.

“We had to balance the many factors, so we are not denying that it is not likely to have an impact; we are minimizing as much as possible that impact… we are cognizant of the fact the COVID-19 situation would be having an impact on students’ readiness. In recognition of that, you will notice that the paper two will not be offered at this time which will be a reduced level of anxiety on the students,” he explained.

Additionally, Mr. Wesley noted that the determination of the students’ performance is not only on the multiple choice examination but also on the school-based assessment (SBA’s) component.

Wesley further stated that, it is important that the council ensures that it has sufficient information to be able to award valid grades to students that will speak to their skills and competences they should demonstrate having completed the CSEC and CAPE syllabuses.
In decreasing the anxieties surrounding the upcoming examinations, the council has also extended the date of submission for the school-based assessments.

“We have extended the deadline for SBA’s to June 30; so June CAPE, CSEC and CCSLC candidates who have SBAs outstanding, do have up until June 30 to submit those,” he stated.

Additionally, Wesley disclosed that the council has been working along with the local registrar to treat situations where individuals find it difficult to complete their school-based assessment.