CXC to accommodate displaced students
New measures have been put in place to provide relief for Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) students who have been displaced by the impact of the La Soufrière eruption in St. Vincent and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement released on Thursday 15th April 2021 by CXC outlined their awareness of the challenges being faced by students within the region and their willingness to listen and engage critical stakeholders across the education landscape.
Concerns were raised by the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) about the exams and has accused CXC of operating in a “business-as-usual manner”, as they outline several demands and changes for that need to be made. Two of the changes requested is for adjustments to be made to the CXC syllabus and a timelier distribution of the examination topics to the teachers and students.
It has also criticised the regional examination body for the deferral arrangement being offered to students, but CXC stated that it has been responding to the current situation.
CXC indicated that it has reduced the SBA requirements by as much as 50 per cent in some subjects, noting that this information is outlined in the SBA Student Handbook, which was published and posted on the CXC website and shared via social media in November 2020 and February 2021.
In addition, the broad topics to be assessed on Paper 02 for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects will be shared with the Ministries of Education for distribution to all candidates on May 10, which is five weeks before the start of the examinations, for subjects where such details are not already available in the syllabus.
CXC also indicated that several other changes have been made such as:
* it implemented a facility for candidates to defer sitting examinations and submitting School Based Assessments (SBAs) until January 2022 (CSEC) or the May/June 2022 (CAPE, CSEC and CCSLC) examinations cycle.
* SBA scores can be transferred for use in the next examination sitting, where the subject is offered.
* The rules pertaining to the reuse of SBA scores for resit candidates remain unchanged.
* Candidates may also submit a new SBA or delay submission of SBAs until the chosen sitting.
* For the first time, CXC will accept SBAs in January 2022 for candidates deferring to sit examinations for subjects offered in that period.
* The granting of the deferral will be managed by the principal, for in-school candidates, and by the CXC local registrar for private candidates.
* Candidates should indicate an intent to defer from the June/July 2021 examination cycle by 1 May 2021. There will be no fee charged for the deferral of examinations.
* The deferral procedures were shared directly with all Ministries of Education and local registrars from across the region on Friday March 26 and Friday April 9 and communications placed on the CXC website.
* In preparation for exams, students can also access a range of examination-related resources via www.cxc.org/student-central/.
Liz Myke
Reporter
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