Support system for secondary school students

The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training has put a system in place to assist secondary students preparing for the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams.

Chief Education Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, today stated that a Learning Development and Examination Success Examination Scheme had been created to address the challenges students face.  These issues, she noted, were compounded by the disruptions to the education system.

She was speaking at a press conference to announce the scholarship and exhibition winners for this year.

“This scheme was designed as a means of supporting students who deferred the writing of CXC examinations in 2021 and aims to complement the work being done in public secondary schools to mitigate learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

Dr. Archer-Bradshaw continued: “The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training will be providing support through inter area, the staging of synchronous sessions, the first of which occurred on Wednesday, the 15^th of December, 2021, and focused on study skills and habits that contribute to examination success.”

Additional support mechanisms include: the establishment of a help desk for students to communicate via email any challenges, as well as share ideas on how the Ministry could make improvements to meet their needs.  This virtual facility may be accessed by emailing learningsupport@mes.gov.bb.

The Chief Education Officer further noted that the recently established Mental Health Committee would be working with the Learning Development and Examination Success Examination Scheme “to cater to the full range of students’ needs as they navigate these challenging times”.

Dr. Archer-Bradshaw also spoke to the issue of discrepancies with student grades at the CXC level despite the review process, assuring that the Ministry of Education “is committed to justice and fairness for all of our students”.