Parents want CXC to consider ‘hardship cases’

The parents’ lobby group formed in the wake of the controversial results of last year’s CSEC and CAPE examinations is raising questions regarding how students who were affected by Hurricane Elsa will be graded by the Caribbean Examinations Council.

In a press statement, spokeswoman for the Group of Concerned Parents of Barbados, Paula-Anne Moore said several students had been disadvantaged after Elsa caused significant damage and displacement when it passed over the island last Friday.

The fact that thousands of homes were left without water and electricity, some for several days, would also have affected the ability of some students to adequately prepare for CXC exams, she said.

She said: “We are concerned that a number of our students have been adversely impacted by the passage of Hurricane Elsa, as conceivably several CXC level students reside in the homes which have reported damage and so are in no position either physically or psychologically to take an exam. Presumably, these students will be treated as ‘hardship cases’. There is, however, a paucity of information on the consequences of that status in real terms. How will such cases be treated to?

“For those students who have not experienced any damage to the home and may have been in the majority of the population which lost vital utilities, this would have impaired their ability to continue their preparations. While these may not technically be ‘hardship cases’ and will thus presumably take their exams, they may well not be in the state of mind or preparedness to so do.

“We wonder how the assessment of these students’ performance in these exams will be adjusted by CXC to take into consideration these stressors which the students endured as part of their examination preparation and which may likely impact on examination performance.”

Moore called for better communication between CXC and all education figures.

While praising the Ministry of Education for its efforts in assisting students thus far, she said it could yet play a further role in lending support.

“While we appreciate the myriad challenges which confront the Ministry of Education as they respond to the Hurricane’s effects, and salute the sterling efforts of the minister, executive management and staff of the ministry, confronted by the unprecedented almost simultaneous challenges of two years of a pandemic, inundation of volcanic ash, a freak storm and now Hurricane Elsa, more specific communication regarding Hurricane Elsa and contingency planning relating thereto is needed,” the spokeswoman declared.

“For example, to minimize the students’ stress due to uncertainty, the Ministry could advise of specific details of CXC’s “Adverse Conditions Policy” which is apparently part of CXC’s contingency planning when exams have to be rescheduled due to weather conditions, etc. This policy is not on CXC’s website or other official public communication channels and should have been by now. Thus, specifically, what exact arrangements are in place for those students – CSEC AND CAPE – who had originally had exams due on Friday 2 July but which have been rescheduled due to Hurricane Elsa?” (RB)