CXC leaving no CAPE, CSEC students behind

THE Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is doing its best to ensure that no student is left behind when it comes to writing this year's CAPE and CSEC examinations. CXC Registrar and CEO Dr Wayne Wesley gave that assurance during a virtual news conference on Monday.

Earlier in the conference, Bahamas education minister and chairman of Caricom's Council of Human and Social Development Jeffrey Lloyd said, "The council agreed that CXC should administer the CAPE and CSEC examinations in their original format.

"The exams are best scheduled in June to July, with results being available to the ministers of education in last weeks of September."

Lloyd also disclosed, "An extension should be given for the deadline in which students can make a determination to defer a sitting of the exam." He said that deadline is May 1.

After noting that covid19 affected students differently in different parts of the region, Wesley said there were students who were ready to sit the exams and others who might not be.

"In that regard, we wanted to prepare a situation that allows for both group of students or candidates to have access to the examinations and, at the same time, presenting others with the opportunities to defer if they are not able to."

Instead of having the position of no exam, Wesley explained, "This proposal will allow for the administration of the examination at this time (and) really gives us the best of both worlds."

Wesley also said, "There would be no fee implications for subject deferral. That is, students would not be charged for deferral of subjects, even if the deferred subjects are spanned across January and the May-June sessions of 2022."

Wesley said while a broad framework had been established to hold this year's exams, CXC remains "very flexible in its approach" to work with Caricom countries to address situations which could affect the holding of the exams.

He gave the assurance that CXC would "work with the respective territories that the exams are administered, in the way appropriate with their respective national (covid19) protocols."

Wesley explained that this will be done "within the context of preserving and not disadvantaging the students."

He also said the integrity of the process by which the exams are marked, will be preserved.

CXC operations manager Dr Nicolette Manning said over 500,000 students have registered for this year's CSEC and while over 107,000 students have registered for CAPE.