BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan. 03.18 – THERE are no plans by officials at the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) to limit the number of subject entries one student can pursue at one sitting.
That announcement comes as many parents, teachers and education pundits in the region have, for a long time, criticized the number of subjects being written by students, especially those from Guyana.
In 2017, Queens College student, Michael Bhopaul wrote and passed 25 subjects at the regional examination, gaining 24 grade one passes and one grade two.
The student was quoted by Newsroom Guyana, as supporting the idea of allowing students to take as many subjects once they are comfortable doing so.
Bhopaul believes that candidates “should be allowed to write as many subjects as they want to, provided that they can.”
He added that, “they shouldn’t be forced into doing it or they shouldn’t push themselves into doing it, knowing that they would falter along the way and so on. It’s not something to be done by everyone, it’s to be done by those who can cope with it.”
At a recently held press conference, Registrar of CXC, Glenroy Cumberbatch gave a firm “no” on whether the council had any plans to limit the number of subjects.
“If the students have the capacity and the ability, why would we want to stop them from expressing their ability and capacity.”
Council Chairman, Sir Hilary Beckles in response to SKNVibes News’ question said that at the moment that is the kind of decision that is made at the level of the school and individual principals.
“When there are students with exceptional capabilities, and those students are expressing their interest, the schools if they are so willing provide a special pathway for these individuals/students to express his or her capacity.”
Beckles noted that the number of subject entries should be based on the teachers assessing the performances of the students rather than that of CXC holistically making a determination.
Referencing Bhopaul, Beckles said that the principal had indicated that they have been following the young man for many years through their system.
“And they could see his capacity”, he said, evolving in multiple areas, and as such they provided a special pathway for him “and it has turned out to the benefit of the school and the students, and everyone else.”
“And so, that is the best way to handle these matters. We have to rely on the proper judgement of the principals, of the schools and of the teachers who are able to see that within the student body, there is diversity.”
