–improved performances recorded in 15 subject areas; 100 per cent pass rate recorded in several CAPE subjects

–as crucial interventions continue with aim to boost overall education delivery

GUYANA’S performance at the Caribbean Examinations Council’s (CXC), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations remain constant, with the overall pass rate remaining in the 60 per cent range.

This was disclosed on Friday by Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain during the ministry’s results presentation ceremony.

According to Hussain, who delivered the statistics for this year’s performance, for CSEC, some 12,685 students wrote the examinations, and the pass rate, which accounts for subject passes from Grades One to Three, stood at 66.76 per cent.

While he noted that this percentage is constant when compared to last year, he disclosed that there have been improved performances recorded in 15 subjects.

He added that outstanding performances were noted in seven subject areas, with those being 90 per cent and over, and those subjects were Agricultural Science (double award), Religious Education, Physical Education and Sports, Industrial Technology, Electrical Engineering, Building Technology and Mechanical Engineering.

In subject areas seen as some of the most important, English A (Language) and Mathematics, improvements were also recorded.

Hussain disclosed that the English Language increased from 68.96 per cent in 2024 to 71.2 per cent in 2025.

For Mathematics, which has been a problem area for the Caribbean, the pass rate moved from 27 per cent in 2024 to 32 per cent this year.

“This is an increase of five per cent. In any form of education; any form of research, five per cent is significant,” he said.

In 2024, it was disclosed that the Caribbean region did poorly in Mathematics, and as such, CXC was moving to implement some new programmes, starting in 2026.

However, Guyana did not wait but sought to immediately implement a mathematics intervention programme to aid in increasing grades.

In relation to the improvements in the grades for mathematics, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand noted that the overall pass percentage for 2024 was 36 per cent. This year, the overall performance improved to just around 39 per cent.

MATH INTERVENTION

As part of the mathematics intervention implemented by the government, Manickchand stated, “We gave to every single child a scientific calculator in Fourth and Fifth form; we gave to every child a geometry set; we gave textbooks, past papers, past papers organised by topics, lessons for free on the Learning Channel on each topic, quiz me, where you could go in and answer questions and get your responses right away.”

Further, monitors were placed in numerous schools to ensure that teachers were finishing the syllabus, and children were understanding what was being taught.

The Education Minister went on to note that this kind of growth is not usually seen in one year, as she added that most schools did better in the subject area, attributing it directly to the mathematics intervention.

Meanwhile, in relation to the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE),  some 650 candidates sat those exams, a decrease from 2024, which stood at just over 700.

For CAPE, Grades One to Five are considered a pass, and as such, the pass rate in 2024 was 92.57 per cent, in 2025 it is 91.9 per cent, noted as a very minimal decline.

To this end, the CEO noted that a 100 per cent pass rate was recorded in several subject and unit areas.

Those subjects are Agricultural Science, Unit Two; Art and Design, Units One and Two; Animation and Gaming Design, Units One and Two; Applied Mathematics, Unit Two; Computer Science, Unit Two; Digital Media, Units One and Two; Environmental Science, Unit One; Entrepreneurship, Unit One; Geography, One and Two; Green Engineering, One and Two; Spanish One and Two; Physical Education and Sports Units One and Two; Performing Arts Units One and Two; Logistics and Supply Chain Operations Unit One; French Unit One; IT Unit Two; Tourism Unit Two;, and Design and Technology Unit One.

Meanwhile, this year, some 875 candidates have qualified to be awarded the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), a certification which means persons have a skill that can be used in any Caribbean territory.

Hussain remarked, “We had 142 candidates for Furniture Making. We had 180 candidates for Crop Production, 192 candidates for General Office Administration. 254 candidates for Data Operation, 40 candidates for Business, and Administration, 67 candidates.”