7 December 2018
COMMUNIQUÉ
50th Meeting of the Caribbean Examinations Council
St Vincent and the Grenadines held on 6 and 7 December 2018 at the National Insurance Service
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) held its 50th meeting at the National Insurance Services Conference Conference Centre, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday 7 December and the meeting of the School Examinations Committee (SEC) on Thursday 6 December 2018. The SEC and Council meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of CXC and Vice Chancellor of The University of the West Indies.
Opening of Council and Presentation of Top Awards
The opening ceremony for Council and presentation of awards for outstanding performances in the May/June 2018 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) examinations was hosted at the Methodist Church Hall, Kingston on Thursday 6 December at 7:00 pm.
Honourable St Claire Prince, Minister of Education, National Reconciliation and Information in St Vincent and the Grenadines delivered the feature address at the ceremony. Minister Prince said St Kitts and Nevis hosting of the CXC governance meetings is an indication the country’s commitment to the region generally and to CXC in particular.
Professor Beckles, Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council, gave remarks at the ceremony. Professor Beckles urged the awardees to become advocates of causes and stand up and speak up for something.
Sir Hilary noted that the CSEC awardees are provided with a full scholarship by The University of the West Indies once they complete their CAPE or an associated degree. Sir Hilary explained that the scholarship is meant to attract the region’s brightest and best minds to the region’s top university.
Regional Top Awards
During the ceremony held on the night of Thursday 6 December, students from six Caribbean countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago – received awards for outstanding performances in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC).
Christian Chung of Presentation Boys’ College, Grenada received the award for the Most Outstanding Male Student in CCSLC, while Daria James of Washington Archibald High School in St Kitts and Nevis received the award for Most Outstanding Female Student in CCSLC.
CAPE
Students from schools in Guyana and Trinidad shared the 2018 Regional Top Awards for outstanding performances in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) May/June sitting.
Aadilah Ali of Queen’s College, Guyana received the Dennis Irvine Award for 2018, the symbol of academic excellence at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level. She also received the award for the Most Outstanding Candidate in Natural Sciences.
Rajiv Muneshwer, another student from Queen’s College, Guyana took the award for RM Education award for the Most Outstanding Candidate in Mathematics.
Trinidadian students walked away with the other awards. Mikhaili Toney of Presentation College, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago took the Hodder Education award for Most Outstanding Candidate in Humanities.
Kirese Narinesingh of Naparima Girls’ College took the award Most Outstanding Candidate in Language Studies, while Seline Sundar of Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College continued that school’s dominance of regional business awards. Seline received the ACCA CAPE Business Studies Award.
Jade Lakhan of St Joseph’s Convent, Port of Spain, copped the award for Most Outstanding Candidate in Environmental Science.
Mrs Jennifer Benn of Queen’s College, Guyana received the award for CAPE School of the Year 2018.
CSEC Awardees
Keondre Herbert, a student from St Joseph’s Academy in Antigua and Barbuda received the prize for the Most Outstanding Candidate Overalal in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). Keondre, is the second student in four years from St Joseph’s Academy to win this award.
Students from Guyana and Jamaica copped the other awards. Daniel Baldeo-Thorne of Queen’s College, Guyana received the award for Most Outstanding Candidate in Sciences; Salma Majeed of ISA Islamic School, Guyana copped the award for the Most Outstanding Candidate in Humanities; Rebekah Persaud of St Roses High School, also in Guyana, received the award for Most Outstanding Candidate for Business Education;
Three Jamaican students received awards for outstanding performance in Visual Arts and Short Story. Kae-Shanae Virgo of Montego Bay High School received the prize for the Best Short Story in the English A examination with a story entitled “Betrayal.” Okeen Wallace of St Georges’ College copped the Best 3-Dimensional Visual Arts Award with a piece entitled “The Forest”, while Danielle Gennard of Wolmers’ Girls School received the award for the Best 2-Dimensional Visual Arts award for her creation entitled “Deal with the devil.”
Mr Rudolph Davis, principal of St Joseph Academy, Antigua was presented with the CSEC School of the Year award 2018.
Courtesy Calls
The awardees and a delegation from CXC and the Ministry of Education, National Reconcilliation, and Information paid courtesy calls several political dignatories in St Vincent and the Grenadines; Honourable St Clair Prince, Minister of Education, National Reconciliation and Information; Honourable Fredirick Stephens, Minister of National Mobilization, Social Development, The Family, Persons with Disabilities and Youth; and Leader of Opposition Dr the Honourable Godwyn Friday.
The awardees spent a day on the Grenadine island of Bequia, where they met with students secondaray schools on the island and visited places of interest on the island including the Turtle Sanctuary, Bequia Fisheries and Fort Hamilton.
The awardees were encouraged by all dignitaries to continue to excel in their fields of endeavours. They were also advised to view their accomplishments, not as the end of the road, but as the beginning of a journey that has started.
Registrar’s Report
Registrar, Mr Glenroy Cumberbatch presented the Registrar’s Report to SEC and Council.
The highlight of the report includes increased candidate population for January CSEC offering, addition of two new CAPE subjects, >>>>>>>>>>. expansion of e-testing, issuance of electronic certificates for the first time, increased marketing of CCSLC, CVQ and CSEC; publication and launch of CXC Service Charter.
Following the Registrar’s Report, there was robust discussion about the implementation of electronic testing in all subjects. It was agreed that phased implementation of the e-testing should be the approach taken by CXC accompanied by a a programme of capacity building training and retooling of resource persons.
History Taskforce
Professor Alan Cobley, Chairman of the History Taskforce, presented the full report to members of SEC at its meeting on Thurdsay and Council on Friday 2018. Professor Cobley noted that there are 28 recommdations in the report under six subheadings: schools, CXC, curriculum, assessment, pedagogy, and identifying hearts and minds.
The report concluded that history is very important and key stone on which the region’s identity is founded.
SEC agreed that history needs to be given special attention for several reasons including perceptions by students, parents and teachers that it is difficult to obtained Grade I in history; the teaching of history and the length of the history syllabus.
Chairman, Professor Hilary Beckles suggested that history should be taught in schools up to fifth form and rebrand the subject to make it more progressive.
There was also a recommendation to use new media such as animation, games and videos in the teaching of history to make it more attractive to students.
Syllabus Development
SEC ratified the major decisions from the meetings of SUBSEC held during 2018. Members were presented with the major decisions taken at those meetings including:
Approval of two new CAPE syllabuses: Biotechnology and Design and Technology to be distributed in 2019 and for first examination in 2020; the develioment of Digital Literacy syllabus for the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC).
A syllabus in Biotechnology would be designed to acquaint students with biotechnology and its application in solving real life problems, transform the natural resources of the Caribbean (biological wealth) to tangible wealth, enhance the bio-economic status of the Region, and engage students in the development of nutraceutical products.
A syllabus in Design and Technology would take students through the design stages from inspiration to ideation through to implementation and that the syllabus will, among other things, create design thinkers who can innovate to solve a real world problem.
The CCSLC syllabus in Digital Literacy is intended to create a cadre of Caribbean digital native learners; create learners who can collaborate and communicate effectively using ICT tools; produce creative and innovative thinkers; expose learners to human, cultural, ethical and legal issues in using technology; and develop critical 21st Century skills.
Approval of revisions to five CSEC syllabuses: Music to be distributed in 2018 and for examination in 2020. Theatre Arts to be distributed in 2018 and examination in 2019. Economics, Principles Accounts and Principles of Business to be distributed in 2017 and for examinations in 2019.
SEC also heard that at the request of stakeholders, SUBSEC agreed to deferr the use of CAD software for Technical Drawing to 2018 in an effort to allow schools to effect the necessary upgrades to their technology and for training in the use of the software to take place.
SEC also ratified SUBSEC’s decision for the revision of the CXC Associate Degree. Candidates will now need to complete 10 Units instead of eight to qualify for the CXC Associate Degree. The admendments are designed to ensure that the CXC Associate Degree aligns with the requirements of regional accreditation authorities.
The governance committees also approve work to continue on the revision of six CAPE Syllabuses: Computer Science, Information Technology, Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Art and Design, and one CSEC syllabus, Additional Mathematics, for teaching to begin in September 2019 and first examination in 2021.
Examinations Administration
SEC and Council a report on the administration of all examinations offered in 2018. CXC administered examinations for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA), Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ).
The highlights of the report show that the following trends:
1. There was a 2.7 per cent in entries for CAPE
2. 50 per cent increase in e-Testing test sessions
3. CCSLC® registration trending upwards though 5.6 per cent decline year on year
4. 1 percent reduction in CSEC®;
5. Average subjects per candidate improving, almost 5
6. E-Testing integral to Anguilla and BVI resilience strategy post-hurricanes 2017
7. Results released on schedule, 10 August 2018
8. New marking strategies reaped success; monitoring processes still need improvement
9. Leading CVQs Commercial Food Preparation, Electrical Installation and General Cosmetology
10. Strong upward movement of Call Centre Operations
With respect to candidate and subject entries, there were 30, 716 candidates for CAPE presenting 120, 158 subject entries. There were 127, 900 CSEC candidate entries and 570, 780 subject entries. For CCSLC there were , 7, 177 candidates who offered 13, 818 subject entries, and there were 4, 135 entries for CPEA and 4,100 for CVQ.
Budget
The Council approved the budget for 2019 which provides for projected revenue of 48, 583 Barbados dollars and total expenditure of 46, 258 Barbados dollars. The budget provides for financing activities related to CXC’s strategic objectives for 2019.
Appreciation
Council recorded its sincerest appreciation to the Government and people for hosting the meetings and their warm hospitality shown to delegates while in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Grenada has offered to host the 2019 meetings of SEC and Council.
Photo captions
Regional Top Awardees 2018 pose with Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves
La Gracia Dancers performing during the ceremony
Honourable St Clair Prince, Minister of Education, National Reconciliation and Information presenting awards to Keondre Herbert, Most Outstanding CSEC Student Overall in 2018
Link to video of Opening of Council and Top Awards Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/embed/nuPWaOYBNnEfbclid=IwAR29j4Br_mP8Nzo9O7l4_fK06mFQQM1Y7SLXyLmjHSbDrx97_gvbHEK-MHg
For further information, please contact Cleveland Sam, Public Relations Manager on telephone number (246) 227 1892 or CLSam@cxc.org.
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