BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) has reversed its recent decision to suspend the syllabuses of four subject areas, responding to a public outcry from across the region.
Due to low registration numbers in recent years, CXC officials had proposed suspending the syllabuses for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) in Green Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, as well as the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) in Agricultural Science (Double Award) and Industrial Technology (Mechanical Engineering).
A meeting with regional education ministers was convened, and following the discussions on June 4, the decision was made to continue offering these courses.
In a press statement, CXC explained that Dr. Wayne Wesley, CXC’s Registrar and CEO, addressed reporters at a press conference after the meeting. He announced: “The meeting with the Ministers of Education demonstrated our shared commitment to find a ‘critical path forward’ on this matter, given the pressing education and human capacity development imperatives facing the region.”
Several key decisions were agreed upon:
Caribbean Examinations Council will continue to offer syllabuses for CAPE Green Engineering, CAPE Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, CSEC Agricultural Science (Double Award), and CSEC Industrial Technology (Mechanical Engineering option).
CXC has introduced a range of new technology and science syllabuses. While some are not yet in high demand, governments will collaborate with CXC to build interest in these new programs to ensure their cost viability.
Today's deliberations emphasized the need for a collective regional marketing effort to promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) education and climate-smart agriculture, which are crucial for the region's economic growth and sustainable development.
CXC is committed to improving its communication protocols to provide Ministers of Education with better visibility of high-level policy recommendations for decision-making.
The public outcry emerged as the region shifts toward enhancing information technology within various jurisdictions and seeks to reduce food import bills through increased agricultural production as part of the 25 By 2025 Initiative.
