Last week the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) announced a regional decline in overall pass rates for both the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).
Dr. Wayne Wesley, Registrar and CEO of CXC highlighted particular concern with English and Mathematics performance.
Addressing an audience in Dominica during the release of preliminary results, the CEO said that over the past five years, performance in these subjects has taken a worrying trend. CXC is therefore urging countries to pay greater attention to mathematics and English education to reverse the trend.
Wesley noted that since 2018, approximately 11,500 students annually have been unable to fully matriculate into university due to failing these two subjects’ requirements. The CEO warned the ongoing decline in performance could negatively impact the Caribbean’s economic competitiveness.
In effort to address the problem CXC has announced that plans will be put in place by developing initiatives to improve teaching and learning in the different subject areas. According to Wesley, a team has been commissioned to develop standards for literacy and numeracy, incorporating Artificial Intelligence to enhance educational outcomes.
