Garcia: small improvement in 2017 CAPE performance

With additional reporting by Michael Joseph (NYLO INTERN)

There has been a slight improvement in the performance of students in both unit one and two in the 2017 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) results as compared to the performance of students in 2016, according to Education Minister, Anthony Garcia.

He was speaking today at the post-Cabinet news briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

“In 2016, we had 94.6 per cent of our students achieving acceptable grades, that is, between grades one to five in unit one. In 2017, we had 95.06 per cent of students achieving acceptable grades, that is, one to five. In addition to that, of the 33 subjects that were written by students, we found that in 25 of those subjects, students scored 90 per cent and above.” He continued, “In unit two, in 2016, 94.10 per cent of students achieved an acceptable pass rate, that is, between grades one to five and in 2017, we have 94.44 per cent of students achieving acceptable pass rates. Again, of the 33 subjects that we written by our students, we had in 24 subjects, our students achieved a pass rate of 90 per cent and over.”

Garcia said after analysing the results, they found in unit one in 2016, 48.19 per cent of students achieved grades one and two, and in 2017 there was a marked improvement where 53.05 per cent of students achieved grades one and two.

He said in 2016, 47.2 per cent of students achieved grades one and two and in 2017, 52.29 per cent of students receiving grades one and two.

“It shows very clearly that our students are performing better at these exams. We are hoping to have the results of CSEC results released either later today or tomorrow (today).”

Garcia said a total of 8,140 students wrote the CAPE examination with 4,750 females and 3,390 males, and 400 scholarships would be awarded this year.

Last year, 389 schools were given scholarships with 315 being for science, math and technology, 45 for business and 29 for humanities and other subjects.

When asked about the performance of students who wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination, Garcia said, “We have not yet had the opportunity of doing an assessment of those results. We are hoping that before tomorrow (today), we will be able to reveal to the population, the performance of our students in these two areas (CAPE and CSEC).”

He also said upgrades and improvements to schools are ongoing and all systems indicate that deadlines would be met for all schools to be opened on time, similar to previous years.

Garcia said of the 8140, only five per cent are able to win scholarships, which would be determined at a later date.

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