Garcia denies few passed CSEC maths

EDUCATION Minister Anthony Garcia has scotched reports of a very low pass rate for the CXC’s CSEC maths exam, promising full details tomorrow (Friday).

The Guyana Chronicle newspaper reported the Caribbean-wide average pass rate as being just 46 per cent in maths, but Garcia said the rate in TT was well-above this, at “50-something per cent.”

He told Newsday, “We’ll hold a media conference on Friday when we’ll do all the analysis and everything for CSEC and CAPE, and we’ll talk about the preparations for the new school year.”

Asked about reports of bad news of a 46 per cent rate for maths, Garcia said, “What bad news? The math was 50-something per cent.”

He again denied any 46 per cent pass rate in maths for TT.

“That is not true at all. It was 50-something per cent for mathematics and 60-something per cent for English A (English language.) I don’t have the numbers before me.”

The Jamaica Gleaner reported that country’s pass rate in maths as 54 per cent. The news site Now Grenada reported that nation’s pass rate in math as 38 per cent. The Guyana Chronicle said the pass rate in Guyana was 43 per cent.

The Gleaner said Jamaica had an 82 per cent pass rate in English and the Stabroek News said Guyana had a 77 per cent pass rate in English.

Now Grenada said Grenada had a 78 per cent pass rate for English. The Caribbean-wide pass rate for English was 72 per cent, it added.

For all subjects, the CSEC pass rates were Jamaica – 89 per cent, Guyana – 77 per cent, and Grenada – 74 per cent.

The news stories from Guyana, Grenada and Jamaica were all dated August 14, or two weeks ago, those territories having received results from CXC ahead of TT.