CHIEF Education Officer Saddam Hussain has dispelled the misconception that the Ministry of Education promotes students writing large numbers of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, noting that only a small percentage attempt more than 15 subjects each year.

Hussain made these remarks during the recent announcement of this year’s CSEC and CAPE results, during which he provided a breakdown, and disclosed that less than two per cent of students sit more than 15 subjects in any given year.

“In the last five years, less than two per cent of all the students who write exams every year have written more than 15 subjects,” Hussain said.

He added, “In 2024, out of 11,600 students, 200 wrote more than 15. That’s 1.7 per cent. In 2023, it was 155 out of 12,108 or 1.3 per cent. This year, about 248 out of more than 12,500 students sat more than 15, which is less than 1.9 per cent.”

Hussain emphasised that there is no formal ministry policy encouraging students to overload themselves with examinations. Instead, he said, the education system is structured to support those who have the ability and drive to take on additional work.

“There is no policy about writing 15 or more subjects. If students can, they do it. If they want to, we provide the opportunities for them to do it, and they do it on their own,” he explained.

He made it clear that schools themselves do not create timetables designed to accommodate such high numbers of subjects. However, students who pursue them often study independently or make special arrangements.

Against this backdrop, he noted that the education system must remain flexible enough to cater for high-achieving students as well.

“We cannot have an education system that talks about equity if we are not going to have a place for the gifted; if we are not going to have a place for the extraordinary,” he said. “There are students sitting here who can learn an entire math syllabus in one month. And so, if we are going to have an equitable education system, we must ensure that there is a space for them.”

Further to this, he stated that Guyana is one of the few Caribbean countries where students face no restrictions on the number of subjects they can sit.

While some schools may impose their own internal mechanisms, there is no national policy requiring students to qualify before sitting multiple subjects.