Editors' Forum | Gov't in talks with CXC to delay 2022 exam sittings

Judana Murphy/Gleaner Writer 

The Education Ministry is in talks with the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) to postpone the administration of this year's Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) sitting because of school setbacks amid COVID-19.

Traditionally, exams are held in May and June each year.

According to the ministry, 90 per cent of Jamaican high school principals support delaying the sitting by at least a month. 

Education Minister Fayval Williams told a Gleaner Editors' Forum today that the ministry has written to CXC appealing for more time, given that students have had limited face-to-face instruction in recent months. 

She said in response, CXC outlined the implications for a delayed sitting, which include the release of results at a later date. 

"We will continue to be a strong advocate for our students as the days and weeks go by. We understand how important these exit exams are and we also understand the hurdles that our children have had to overcome as they come back into the face-to-face environment and so we are very sensitive to that and will do all that we can to ensure that they enter the exam rooms with full readiness," Williams said.

Acting chief education officer, Dr Kasan Troupe said following the feedback from CXC, the ministry is re-strategising and engaging stakeholders such as the National Secondary Students' Council to get feedback from the various school populations. 

"This will help us to go back stronger with our appeal to CXC, indicating that we need some more time. The students have asked for that and our principals have indicated such. Our duty on this side is to bring the advocacy in a strong way to CXC, to ensure that the best solution can be arrived at," Troupe said. 

She added that before the full resumption of face-to-face classes on Monday, the ministry used every opportunity to reopen, to get students in exam cohorts back in the classrooms to complete their curriculum. 

In early February, CXC told The Gleaner that the regional exams are on track to be administered in May and June, as Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination and CSEC timetables have been published on its website and shared with local registrars.

In 2021, amid the volcanic activity in St Vincent and The Grenadines and the COVID pandemic, exams in the region started on June 28 and were completed on July 30.

The results were released in October.

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