by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) announced the delayed sitting of the 2021 CSEC and CAPE exams by two weeks.
The announcement was made by Dr. Wayne Wesley CXC Registrar and CEO during a virtual press conference on Wednesday, May 26, which also included other stipulations for the sitting of this year’s regional exams.
Dr. Wesley also said concessions will be made in regards to grading as well as specific consideration for students in St. Vincent and the Grenadines who have been affected by the volcanic eruptions.
After meeting with the regional ministries of education and the Caribbean Union of Teachers who proposed the exams not go ahead as planned, a consensus was reached to delay the exams and extend the deferral time to May 31 and the extension of SBAs to June 30 was the middle ground reached between the bodies to move forward.
During the press conference, a question was raised about CXC being tone deaf about the realities of the COVID-19 and the economic situation of some of the territories.
Chairman of the Council, Sir Hilary Beckles disagreed with that sentiment.
St. Kitts and Nevis has had to shut down all schools and all in person instruction has ceased because of the 16 active COVID-19 cases and the testing of school children within the federation which as of Tuesday, May 25, yielded positive results for seven children ranging in ages from 3-15.
Within the region, continuous disruptions to regular face to face instructions have been reported.
What are the contingencies in place if the situation worsens for territories in the Caribbean and affects students and school operations?
“The consensus we emerged with had within it a built in flexibility of time to accommodate any unforeseen circumstance and we are certainly hoping that we have no shocks coming our way… we’ve shown the flexibility; the willingness to compromise,” Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council, during the Wednesday, May 26 virtually press conference.
