Opposition Spokesperson on Education, Dr. Angela Brown Burke, says dialogue between the leadership of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) and stakeholders, including students, parents, and school administrators, is a necessary process in order to address mounting disquiet about poor grades.
“This process of dialogue would be helpful in identifying any areas that could benefit from reconsideration including any inconsistency in grading, comparison of student profiles and their performance. An examination of the curriculum and what was expected might also be a useful tool in this analysis.” Dr Brown Burke said.
She has also noted the concerns raised by students about the inconsistency in grades and their insistence on a process of review. Dr. Brown Burke also highlighted comments from Mr. Wayne Wesley, CXC Registrar, regarding the total number of formal queries being made which he believes is not significant. She is therefore calling for immediate dialogue amongst all stakeholders for a clearer ventilating of the issues surrounding the recent CXC performance report.
She says given the concerns of students and parents it is important to ensure that students of modest means are not prevented from making queries because of the costs involved. $US40 per query could be prohibitive for some parents. She said students who are on the PATH program and are requesting review should be accommodated by the government.
Dr. Brown Burke acknowledged that all stakeholders are clearly interested in protecting the integrity of the system while ensuring reduced stress amongst our students during the pandemic.
