Making CXC work for us, not the other way around

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has enjoyed a great deal of success with the formation of several institutions developed to promote functional cooperation. This region of small, developing countries with a similar history of social and economic challenges, can be justifiably proud of progress that has been achieved.

Institutions such as the world-rated University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and the Caribbean Development Bank represent some of the many respected organs of regional progress.

Were each state to engage in its own fanciful flight based on the exaggerated egos of political leaders, the financial and resource burdens of seeking to go it alone would be catastrophic.

The wise counsel of CARICOM’s founding leaders of Errol Barrow in Barbados, Michael Manley in Jamaica, Forbes Burnham in Guyana and Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, created the platform on which many of the regional accomplishments rest, having signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas on July 4, 1973.

Prior to the creation of CXC, secondary schools prepared students to be assessed by mainly British-based examining bodies, some of which are still utilised to this day. These bodies include City & Guilds, General Certificate of Education (GCE), and the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).

The region, however, has given its full support to CXC, recognising it as the benchmark for secondary school educational competency and part of the standard entry requirements for post educational pursuits at various community colleges and campuses of the UWI.

Since its creation in 1972, CXC’s members have extended beyond CARICOM membership to include territories such as the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, while accepting entries from St Maarten and Saba of the Netherlands Antilles.

Such widespread acceptance translates to a significant vote of confidence in the institution. Sadly, however, the Barbados-headquartered agency has been faced with consistent and troubling developments in recent years that served to undermine the reputation of the examining body.

Many of the issues that have caused CXC substantial reputational damage could be fairly described as self-inflicted and often avoidable problems.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of which are still rippling through the local educational system, the exams body was raked over the coals for its apparent inflexible response to the life-altering events brought on by the pandemic.

COVID not only sickened and killed so many among us, it also upended the way we socialised and interacted. Many students who were in third and fourth form at the time, missed out on critical learning and teaching time, which negatively impacted their ability to adequately prepare and write examinations.

In recent years, there have been embarrassing leaks of examination papers raising questions about quality assurance processes.

The exam body has faced protest action from students and parents in Barbados. There was also an attempt to bring legal action against the Council.

The latest blow-up surrounds CXC’s planned drop of four science-based subjects – two at Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level and two Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects.

Barbadian opposition senator and attorney-at-law Tricia Watson recently slammed CXC, expressing “shock” that it was ending assessment of Agricultural Science, Mechanical Engineering, Green Engineering, and Electrical and Electronic Technology over low registration and cost constraints.

“I was shocked because I didn’t know that CXC existed for financial and economic purposes of its own. I thought it 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 into our education going forward because that is the way forward,” Watson told the Senate.

Following what appeared to be a hurriedly called meeting of regional education ministers and CXC top brass, the plan to cancel the subjects was reversed.

As was outlined by Senator Watson and local advocates, there must be more active oversight of this regional entity to ensure that it is working in the interest of our students and serving the evolving development needs of the region.