Caribbean Examination Council Heads Visit Territory

B.V.I. Thursday, February 26 – The Territory today received a visit from two top officials of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC).

Visiting the Territory for the first time in their new positions, CXC Registrar Dr. Didacus Jules and Pro Registrar Glenroy Cumberbatch, were welcomed by Acting Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education and Culture Dr. Marcia Potter.

Mr. Cumberbatch said the visit is firstly to make introductions to the Ministry of Education, and to talk about the ways CXC can remain relevant to the BVI, while Dr. Jules added that they also hope to present to the widest possible constituency, some ideas for the strategic re-positioning of the regional examination body.

“We recognise that as time changes, one needs to keep abreast of new developments and ensure the relevance of what you do to the territories and the times. The strategic re-positioning is meant to ensure the CXC keeps on the cutting edge and that we are more responsive to the needs of the countries that we serve,” Dr. Jules said.

Mr. Cumberbatch further underscored the relevance of CXC to the Territory where many students intend to matriculate in United States colleges and universities.

“American colleges and universities from the inception accepted [Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate] CSEC subjects as one of the qualifications to enter. As a matter of fact we have several American universities that go to Jamaica, Barbados and all the other territories with their college fairs trying to recruit persons to go to those universities to study”, Mr. Cumberbatch said. 

“Part of the purpose is that when you do well at CXC there seems to be a predictive validity that you will do very well in those universities and they spend lots of money coming to recruit our people,” he added.

In addition to being guests on a GIS Radio Report, Dr. Jules and Mr. Cumberbatch will also pay a courtesy call on the Minister for Education and Culture, Honourable Andrew Fahie, and facilitate a meeting with the principals and some teachers of secondary schools to talk about the state of CXC in the Territory.

Dr. Jules and Mr. Cumberbatch leave the Territory on Friday to continue their tour of the region.

The CXC examination was implemented in the Territory since its inception in 1972. Up to September 2008, the BVI had registered 10,165 subject CSEC entries with the Council.