More than 20 schools file queries with CXC

SANATAN Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) secretary general Vijay Maharaj said the education board is not currently considering any legal action against the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) over the results of the July 2020 CAPE and CSEC examinations.

Following the release of preliminary CAPE and CSEC results there have been numerous complaints, queries and concerns across the region. CXC registrar Dr Wayne Wesley at a virtual meeting last week said no full review was necessary as the process was rigorous and overall grades had improved. He reported CXC had received queries from various regional ministers of education.

On Sunday Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland told Newsday he had joined his daughter Adela, an 18-year-old upper six St Francois College student, in her Justice for CAPE campaign and he was in the process of compiling information on “numerous students” who have come forward with complaints against CXC.

On Monday when asked about possible legal action similar to the Scotlands, Maharaj replied the SDMS will await a response from CXC to the queries they have filed before they go any further.

"There is nothing on the table as far as pre-action or legal action being considered at this point in time until we get a reaction from CXC."

Maharaj said of the schools filing queries a number of them are denominational schools that normally win most of the scholarships.

"We reach such a height that when we come down from that height for no apparent reason we need to query.

"We are seeing marks that we are not used to seeing. The trend is totally different."

He said complaints will go to the local CXC registrar and then on to CXC in Barbados.

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly told Newsday a little over 20 schools have filed queries: nine schools with 13 reports regarding ungraded CAPE subjects; five reports of ungraded CSEC subjects; and about 14 schools writing with various concerns, including ungraded subjects.

"We expect more (Tuesday)."

She said principals were urged to send queries as early as possible (Wednesday for the latest) before the letter to CXC is sent Friday.

"Time is of the essence. Some of the students want to matriculate and their acceptance would be based on certain grades."

On the type of schools filing queries, Gadsby-Dolly said it was a mix of denominational schools and government schools.

Catholic Education Board of Management CEO Sharon Mangroo said her board is not considering any legal action.

"The Minister of Education is handling it and we are quite satisfied with the approach she is taking. She is asking CXC to account and review the processes to their clients. That is the first step. If we are not satisfied we will look further into it."

Mangroo said she spoke to some principals under the board's purview and they were gathering information to provide the ministry with a list of queries.

"They are going through data and meeting with heads of departments to provide additional information where there is a discrepancy between what was anticipated and what grades students got. The principals also looked at historical data to see how the school normally performed to make a comparison."

In a separate action, however, a team of attorneys representing two Catholic school board members – the Holy Ghost Fathers and Dominican Sisters – has written to CXC chairman Sir Hilary Beckles demanding information on the marking scheme from the regional examination body for the 2020 CAPE and CSEC exams.