Brown Burke Urging The Gov. To Lobby For CXC Students

Shadow Minister of Education and Training, Dr. Angela Brown Burke is urging for the Government to lobby for students wishing to defer from this year’s Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examinations.

Dr. Brown Burke made her call known in a press release earlier today. She says her concern “comes in light of complaints from students and teachers, that contrary to previous understandings, students who initially thought they had the ability to defer, are now being told that the rule only applies to written exams, and that SBAs should still be submitted this year.”

Additionally, Dr. Brown Burke highlights that education has been immensely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many of our students have missed half of the last school year, and almost all of this one, and are therefore at a disadvantage when compared with students from other Caribbean islands,” she says.

She adds that it is not unreasonable for students to request a deferral and a “caring government should do all that’s within its power to negotiate favourable terms for its
students with the CXC Board.”

Earlier this year, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Fayval Williams announced that consultations were held with key stakeholders to determine the best route for examination, given the five options by the Examination Council.

Williams indicated that the preferred choice for Jamaica communicates that there will be an administration of Paper One, and Paper Two with the SBAs being offered in June/July. Additionally, candidates who are not able to sit in 2021 will be accommodated in 2022, and those wishing to defer sitting the 2021 examinations have up until May 1 to make such a decision known.