Paaula-Anne Moore, spokesperson for the Group of Concerned Parents of Barbados and the Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress, has called on the Ministry of Education to clarify when it will release a national report on this year’s Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) results.
In a statement, Moore expressed her frustration that two weeks after CXC released regional results, and with countries such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana having already published their national results, Barbados has yet to provide any information.
“Guyana released their national report on 20th August, the same day as CXC,” said Moore. “Trinidad and Tobago [followed] the next day, and Jamaica within a week, alongside the announcement of their national academic scholarship winners. These are larger countries, with more complex reporting processes than Barbados. The contrasting silence here is disheartening.”
She added that it was unfair for students eligible for Barbados Scholarships and Exhibitions to remain in a state of uncertainty, with important academic deadlines at risk.
“These students are being kept in an anxious limbo of nonexistent communication on and confirmation of their status,” Moore said, noting that many students may have missed crucial matriculation deadlines, or are at risk of doing so.
The parent and student advocate also stressed the importance of evaluating the performance of Barbadian students in light of CXC’s report highlighting a worrying decline in regional mathematics performance.
“We are anxious to hear of Barbados’ national overall performance, not just the academic scholarship awardees, particularly given the recent reports on the disturbing regional CSEC Mathematics pass rate,” she said.
“The Ministry of Education’s launch of the National Literacy Education Task Force, and revelations of systemic challenges in public education, make the latest CXC Maths results deeply troubling.”
The regional CSEC Maths pass rate for 2024 stands at just 36 per cent, a figure Moore noted is part of a long-term downward trend. She referenced a recent analysis by regional tutor Christian Hume, which showed that 57 per cent of students passed Maths in 2003, compared to only 36 per cent in 2024.
“While this year’s low pass rate is alarming, it is not unprecedented,” Moore said, pointing out that CXC data has shown the Maths pass rate falling below 40 per cent several times in the past two decades. She cited years such as 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2022, when pass rates ranged between 34 and 39 per cent.
She emphasised that the issue predates the COVID-19 pandemic, making it an even greater cause for concern. She called for greater accountability from authorities who, she argued, had been aware of the problem but failed to take adequate action.
“We invest significant resources in education annually. What return are we obtaining? What type of performance from our education system are we accepting if thousands of students, if not the majority, are leaving school uncertified or under-certified?” Moore questioned.
Moore urged the Ministry of Education to present a clear, feasible plan for ensuring that most students graduate with basic Maths and English certification.
“Do we really need a complicated Education Transformation Plan to achieve that minimum?” she asked.
Barbados TODAY has reached out to the Ministry of Education for a response. (SD)
