Parents demand inquiry into CXC exams

A group of parents of students who sat the 2020 Caribbean Examinations Council examinations have demanded a regional commission of inquiry into the CXC’s exam structures and methodology.

In a press release issued Wednesday, the Group of Concerned Parents of Barbados Caribbean Coalition for 2020 CXC Redress, through its spokesperson and coordinator, Paula-Anne Moore, said students here and around the region are tired of the “haphazard” way in which the regional examination body has handled the release of the final results via its student portal.

The statement from Moore read in part: “We have provided CXC more than ample time, in good faith, to complete their grade review process. More than three months after preliminary grades were released on 22 September, emotional and mental harm to these thousands of adversely affected students are being perpetuated by CXC, along with real material harm re loss of national and university entrance scholarships and less competitive entrance opportunities to universities, due to clearly erroneous grades, even now.”

Moore contended that the coalition will remain undeterred in its demands for greater information into the grading methodology used during the examinations. It has also called on CXC to provide raw scores and student scripts as evidence of fair grading, and for a regional commission to investigate the exam body.

She said: A solution which should result from this Commission can include external review and audit of CXC and a permanent external regulator of CXC, to ensure CXC maintains modern best practices principles as a public examining body, regains national regional public trust and national, regional and international credibility.

“CARICOM and CXC need to confirm revised plans for 2021 assessment. With the current ravages of the COVID pandemic regionally, including the new outbreak in Barbados, the emotional and mental distress arising therefrom for students, parents, teachers, it is not reasonable to proceed with 2021 exams ‘business as usual’ and the students’ academic and other progressions should not be delayed as a result either.”

Failing to come to the table, Moore vowed that any and all legal means will be pursued. (SB)