CXC rescinds plan to suspend STEM, green subjects

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has reversed its decision to suspend four examination subjects, including green engineering, citing a new plan to boost demand for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and environmentally focused programmes across the region.

At a press conference at the Barbados-based CXC’s headquarters on Tuesday, CXC registrar and CEO Dr Wayne Wesley said that after consultation with regional ministers of education, a decision was taken to continue to offer Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Green Engineering, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology as well as Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Agricultural Science (Double Award) and Industrial Technology – mechanical option.

CXC had earlier announced the plan to discontinue the subjects based on low enrolment, sparking widespread criticism. 

Wesley acknowledged challenges in driving interest in these subjects but outlined initiatives to promote their relevance to the region’s economic competitiveness.

“Governments would have articulated a plan to drive an economy based on climate change resilience, agriculture, food security, and environmental protection,” he said. 

He expressed confidence that this commitment, coupled with effective marketing to students, would increase demand within schools.

Regional education figures raised concerns to CXC about challenges to delivering its programme, including teacher shortages, lack of student interest and inadequate facilities, the officials said. CXC Pro-Registrar and Deputy CEO Dr Eduardo Ali cited outdated infrastructure, insufficient practical training and a scarcity of qualified instructors as capacity issues.

“The subjects were challenged because of the lack of human [resources] to provide support for areas such as welding, plumbing and electrical installation … physical resources like textbooks were also challenges the system did not provide,” he  told journalists.

Another hurdle was limited prospects for academic progression, as many universities did not require the subjects for admission. For those taking green and electrical engineering, maths and physics were the preferred options, not the subjects themselves, Ali noted.

“One of the things we found is that in many instances, there are no opportunities for upward mobility beyond the subjects because many of the universities and community colleges do not make it a requirement for entry into their programmes,” he said.

“For those who are taking green and electrical engineering, maths and physics were the options that the universities preferred and not green engineering itself or electronic engineering technology.”

CXC now plans to collaborate with governments in building demand for new technology and science offerings facing low enrolment across territories. 

Last week, opposition Senator Tricia Watson criticised the initial suspension plan, questioning whether CXC existed for “financial and economic purposes” rather than serving the region.

Senator Watson also chastised Minister of Education Kay McConney and her ministry for their “silence” on the matter:  “I thought CXC was there to serve us. Is it only about profitability or cost saving and convenience to CXC? In all this, nothing from our minister of education; from the same government that is going to ensure that we embed STEAM [science, technology, engineering, art and maths] into our education going forward because that is the way forward.”

Addressing resource concerns, Wesley said issues raised included “the resources available to the education system to facilitate the delivery of these programmes”. He emphasised securing qualified teachers, adequate laboratory facilities and garnering student interest as key challenges.

To mitigate these hurdles, CXC plans a marketing thrust highlighting the subjects’ relevance alongside government backing. 

“Effective promotion of the examination subjects to students will drive a greater demand within the regional school system,” the CXC chief executive said.

The council heads expressed optimism that the new strategy, entailing collaboration with governments to boost enrolment in undersubscribed science and technology offerings, would align with the region’s economic and sustainable development goals. (SM)