Education ministry makes progress in resolving CXC “ungraded” issues

The Ministry of Education announced this year’s Barbados Scholarship and Exhibition winners even as it continues to try to resolve issues related to students being “ungraded” in Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams.

Minister of Education Kay McConney, who announced on Thursday that there were 30 awardees – five with scholarships and 25 who received exhibition awards  – said the ongoing issues with the CXC results had impacted on the delivery of the awards.

However, she said officials in her ministry were actively working to resolve the problems.

“We are having a meeting this (Thursday) afternoon with the parents of those students who were affected. The good news is that we have been able to resolve some of the problems.

“In fact, one of the reasons we delayed a little bit on bringing out the scholarships and exhibitions is because I wanted to make sure that none of those issues that related to either CAPE [Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations] or CSEC [Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate] would affect those persons who would be able to get scholarships [and exhibitions] today. Once I was certain that it wasn’t going to impact them, we went ahead,” she told the media following the ceremony at the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College.

In addition to the five Barbados Scholarship winners – Jasmine Humphrey and Riya Yeddula of Harrison College; and Terricka Bradshaw and Cherisse Codrington of Queen’s College, all of whom attained Grade 1s in eight units of their programme; and Adam Leon of the Barbados Community College (BCC) who attained a grade point average of 4.0 – McConney announced that former Deighton Griffith Secondary School student Javani Alleyne was the recipient of the inaugural Errol Walton Barrow Scholarship.

The latter award, in honour of the life and work of the late Prime Minister, is to be given to qualified Barbadians who completed their education at a school established after 1951 (once referred to as newer secondary schools).

The scholarship will be awarded annually at the college or university level to a student who pursues technical, vocational, or other academic areas, at the associate and undergraduate degree levels.

Harrison College got the lion’s share – 13 – of the exhibitions: Najidah Austin, Jean-Pierre Blackett, Cherish-Amor Blades, Kyé Brathwaite, Sonali Chatrani, Wangari Dottin, Josiah Grannum, and Yeshua-Erchomai Hill, Kiara Hunte, Shomicha Jackson, Azaria Johnson, Allyah Sealy and Alexis Williams.

Six of the exhibition winners were from Queen’s College – Kaiéra Garnes, Zachary Gill, Éléna Scantlebury, Femi Vital, Samara Waithe, and McKenzie Yearwood.

There were two each from The St Michael School – Dominique Haynes and Jada Murray; Christ Church Foundation School – Rayna Clarke and Shaquan Forde; and the BCC – Rashon Barrow and Samuel Holder.

Eighteen of the awards were given to students who studied subjects pertaining to science and technology while nine of the awardees studied other subject areas.

There were 12 scholarship winners and 21 exhibition winners last year.

Minister McConney congratulated the students on a job well done, explained the award bond to the students, and offered words of advice to the parents and guardians in attendance.

“As we move into a new era in education in this country, it is important that we are true partners with parents. The schools must be in partnerships with parents if we are to get our children ready for the 21st century; and not just ready but able to excel and thrive, shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone anywhere in this world.

“I look forward to seeing many of you, long after your children have gone off to university, stay back here and be part of that coalition of parents that will help us to do the right thing at the right time for all of Barbados.

“While there are many students who will excel, there are many students we have to be mindful of who did not do so well and understand that all of the children belong to us – the ones who excelled and the ones who are still seeking to do better at this time.

And where we think that we can go ahead and leave others behind, understand that the problems that will come with them will come to visit our homes, neighbourhoods and our communities,” McConney added.

(SZB)