The Ministry of Education (MoE) said that Guyana’s four hinterland regions have been seeing 100 percent turnout of students to complete the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations.

The Regions include Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Education officials in those Regions have indicated that the process is moving along smoothly thanks to the assistance of cooperating parents and dedicated teachers “who have been doing their part to ensure the examinations are written in accordance with what is expected and at the same time ensuring the safety of all”.
The Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) are currently being written under special circumstances, given the COVID-19 pandemic that has been ongoing since earlier this year.

Schools all across the Caribbean have been closed for lengthy periods, having been closed in Guyana since March 16. The CSEC and CAPE which is customarily scheduled to be written across May/June, was postponed as CXC assessed the COVID-19 development across the Caribbean.

CXC later took the decision to have the exam done across the July/August period, and modified the examinations to a simpler format in light of the circumstances students would be facing because of the COVID-19 situation. The writing of the CSEC and CAPE commenced on July 13, with CSEC scheduled to conclude on August 4 and CAPE set to conclude on July 31.

Over 120,000 students across the Caribbean were scheduled to write CSEC and another 30,000 were scheduled to write CAPE. In Guyana a total of 11,998 candidates were registered to write that CSEC at 168 centres, while for CAPE, 851 candidates are registered to write at 15 centres across the country.
The schools were partially reopened since June, to facilitate the writing of the CSEC and CAPE for secondary school students, and the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) for primary school pupils.

To mitigate the spread of the virus even as the students continue their academics, students, teachers and persons permitted to be in the school compound are required to wear a face mask at all times. Additionally, handwashing and sanitising must be done at the entrance of the school. Each student is also also given care packages which includes sanitiser, masks, tissue and soaps.

All persons entering the compound are also subject to mandatory temperature testing, with the MoE’s Education Officers visiting schools to ensure that there is full compliance with the order.

The students are also required to be two meters apart from each other at all times. Playing and gathering are prohibited and the MoE has prohibited vending outside of the schools “to ensure the safety and wellness of everyone.”

According to reports from education officials in the regions, all the students have been present so far and are cooperating and following the measures outlined in the order when writing their exams. Last Monday, the students turned out in their numbers to write the CSEC Mathematics exam.