Come 2012, the Caribbean Primary Exit Examination will replace common entrance and the grade 6 national assessment programs.
The initiative was envisaged by education ministers of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and decided upon at the just concluded 21st OECS Education Ministers Meeting in Tortola.
According to Education Minster Petter Saint Jean, who was apart of the meeting, the ministers have also agreed that the OECS sub-regions should also work towards a “core Caribbean primary examination to replace the existing grade six national assessment.”
He said the examination would be prepared by CXC.
“This will require extensive public sensitization and discussions and teacher training and school preparation, therefore we have given ourselves a two-year timeframe for implementation,” the education minister said.
i hate
I think our aim as a nation and as the OECS as a whole should be the diversification of our educational system. Our school systems are too “academically based”, and as a result many students are left behind. Additionally, we need to change the tendency to force students to learn within a particular range of time. For example, we expect students to be in high school by the age of 12/13. Truth is, different individuals learn at different paces….We can’t continue to force them through the system and then at the end of the day they end up with zero subjects at cxc level or being kicked out.
These are just some issues which we should have considered before instituted universal secondary education. Nonetheless we are here now and we have to find a way to make this system work better. We have to reform our education system to carter to the skills students and not just the generic science and business.
~former High school Teacher~
Hmmm I have no problem with the change, but are we in par with threst of the OECS countries? Are we have the same standard curriculum that the rest of the OECS countries are using? We definitely need trained teachers and also parents need to pull their weight. Do we have enough resources for teachers to execute and deliver lessons properly? As far as I know this is one of the biggest problems teachers face at school. The chalk and talk will never go away because of lack of resources at schools. the minister of education knows it all. He was once in the heat please stop throwing things down teachers throat,making everything look fancy when u know the liitle salary teachers get they have to buy materials for school.I would go on and on…
Mr Saint needs to look into the number of officers at Cornwall street who hardly provide support fot the schools that are plagued with literacy and numeracy problems.Where are all the EO Language ?EO MAths tecEO Science do they visit schools at all?Are the Chief and his assistant familiar with the situation that exist in certain schools?Do you know in this day and age students are sent home when their teacher goes to class on a Friday at teachers college.Why should teacers study at students expense.Are you aware of all this sir?Are you also aare that there are schools which are overstaffed hile there are small schools which are suffering?So you see why we have literacy and numeracy problems?sir you were a teacher so you kno what I mean.TRy your utmost to straighten those things too many people getting paid for doing nothing.
I love the idea..Now this programme is gonna ask of more effort from teachers, students and parents.. and also more resources to help prepare the students..I believe it will make teachers and students work harder since the standard of learning going to be higher..Education is the key to success and our schools in the caribbean need to perform at a level that will enable our children to compete in this modern world..Not only teachers have to play thier part but also parents need to take a bigger role in the education of thier kids..
On another note. the need to get rid of USE since it is putting the kids who r not academicaly inclined lives in jeopardy..these kids literally suffer in th ehigh schools bcuz they r simply not prepared or just not good in academics..provision shld b made for these students in terms of more technical programmes in the high school..
Anyway thats my thoughts on the whole issue..but i really think the new programe by the OECS is a good idea..
Nonsense – the common entrance exam should be set by the Education Division of each island as has always been the case and continues to be the case for donkey years and should remain that way forever. I don’t agree at all with this new format. This is pure nonsense. I guess test-driving exams will be set by the OECS as well and so on.
Wait just now for St. Jean to boast that is he and his Govt. that initiate that ‘Core Caribbean Primary Exam.’ Didn’t he say this year is because of Universal Secondary Education (USE) that his GOVT. implemented that primary schools did so well? When all Dominicans are expressing concern about the inefficient implementation of the USE. Imagine pupils entering secondary school not being able to read. Numeracy and literacy problems are numerous. Imagine students leaving Secondary schools and still have major problems to read and comprehend and he was boasting? The exam would be prepared by CXC,. But although OECS Education Ministers had agreed that CAPE, a higher A- level exam, administered by CXC, should be undertaken by our institution of higher learning, Up to this time, the GOVT. , its education Ministers and DSC are yet to formalize things to facilitate and allow our top students to do the exam. It is private individuals who are trying their best to assist those students.
@BEST INTEREST: Agree with most of what you say, BEST INTEREST, but the article says nothing about how the changes in the exam will bring about the desired changes in our schools and students.
Already, there are going to be changes in the 2011 exam, now more changes, including another name change in 2012.
I’m all for positive change, but where I can see they make sense and produce benefits, obviously.
I’m from the old school, never liked CXC, so I’m skeptical that they’re going to have anything to do with it.
Now we talking business. I like this one. Our schools need re-vamping. Our students are coming from Primary Schools can hardly write a paragraph. Some can hardly write a sentence. We need to re-visit our curriculum and ensure that our teachers are well prepared to teach our students. Now we will be able to compare ourselves to the rest of the OECS.