CSEC Students to get Government Subsidy to Retake Exams

Due to the obstacles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government will provide a subsidy for secondary-level students to retake their exit exams this year. This is according Dr. Kasan Troupe, acting Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education.

“We know that the pandemic has really created some disruptions, and so for some of our students the results for subjects like math were not impressive,” she noted.

Addressing stakeholders during the Sixth-Form Pathway programme virtual town hall, hosted by the Ministry on Thursday, November 4, Dr. Troupe added that this would have been provided in this year’s Budget, therefore, the subsidy for the opportunity to sit those subjects again is possible. She also noted that this is just a special provision for this year, for those students, given the pandemic experience.

Students who take four Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) topics are eligible for a subsidy, according to Troupe. Mathematics, English, one science topic, and Information Technology or Electronic Document Preparation and Management, (EDPEM) are the subjects in question.

“For those on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), once you have the qualifying scores, you get up to eight CSEC subjects covered. We also pay for one of your National Vocational Qualifications of Jamaica (NVQJ) skilled exams at grade 11,” she said.

The assistance will continue through the Sixth-Form Pathways program, she said. Students will receive three subject subsidies for Communication Studies as well as two elective units. The Ministry is implementing a seven-year high-school program, and the Sixth-Form Pathways are part of that.

Along with the standard sixth-form curriculum, students will be able to follow a two-year course of study with additional alternatives.