and Mr. Glenroy Cumberbatch
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) concluded its 2012 Governance Meetings in Anguilla on Friday, December 7, with a press conference at CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa main building.
It was conducted by the CXC Registrar, Dr. Jules Didacus; Mr.Glenroy Cumberbatch, Pro-Registrar; Mr. Cleveland Sam, Assistant Registrar, Public Information; and Mrs.Chanelle Petty Barrett, CXC’s Deputy Chairperson.
“We have just completed two days of deliberations for the 41st Meeting of the School Examinations Committee as well as the 44th Meeting of Council,” Mrs. Petty Barrett told the reporters. “We can say that the deliberations were quite successful. A lot of ground was covered over the last two days. In particular, one of the features was the Registrar’s Report on the work of the Caribbean Examinations Council. That would have given delegates an insight into what has been happening over the past twelve months. We also considered the financial situation of Council and gave some consideration to that as well.
“We in Anguilla are pleased to have been able to host these meetings for the first time. I think that generally delegates have been pleased with the arrangements that were made for them. We feel that we have done the occasion justice and we trust that the next country to host will do so in a similar fashion.”
Dr. Jules replied that the Permanent Secretary’s hope that the next country to host the meetings in a similar fashion, was “a very tall order” as reported in the front page article in this edition of The Anguillian.
He said that normally between twelve and fifteen top performers in the CSEC and CAPE examinations were taken annually to the host territory of the CXC meetings for a full programme of social activities and the presentation of awards to them. He explained that four of the students were not in a position to join the other ten or so students on the visit to Anguilla. He said that three of them were engaged in interviews at Cambridge University for placement, speaking to the quality the CXC certification; and the other student was already attending Waterloo University.
“I am happy that Council has approved the strategic direction and has expressed pleasure with how things are going in CXC, and we hope to move from strength to strength,” he told the reporters. “Next year, 2013, is going to be the 40th Anniversary of the operationalisation of CXC. It will be a big milestone for usand you can look forward to a number of public activities that will highlight the accomplishments of CXC in those forty years. This will include, we hope, the opening of the new headquarters building which is being constructed by the Government of Barbados, to whom we have expressed our gratitude; and the launch of a history of CXC currently being written by a Professor Emeritus of History at the UWI, Mona.”
A communiqué, issued at the press conference, stated that in 2013 the Council would be concentrating on three strategic objectives: Stakeholder Relationship Management; Delivering World-Class Examinations; and Achieving Financial Stability. Following are some of the other main matters contained in the communiqué:
The School Examinations Committee ratified the approval of the plan for the completion of CAPE syllabuses in Entrepreneurship, Agricultural Science, Performing Arts and Tourism. The Committee also ratified the approval of the revised CAPE Sociology syllabus for distribution to schools in June 2013 and the first examinations in May/June 2014.
The Committee noted the major changes made to the CSEC Science syllabuses. It ratified the approval of the syllabuses for Biology, Chemistry and Physics for distribution to schools in May/June 2013 and the first examinations in May/June 2015.
The School Examinations Committee also ratified the approval of the revised syllabus for the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) Modern Languages for distribution to schools in June 2013 and first examinations in May/June 2014.
The Council noted that the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA), initiated in 2011, was being piloted in two stages: stage one involved Grade 6 students in Anguilla and Grenada. The first assessment was completed in May 2012 when pupils wrote the first examination. Stage twoinvolved Grade 5 transition pupils from Dominica and these students will sit their examination in May 2013.
Council also heard that the CPEA methodology was being piloted in four schools in Jamaica. St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines started the CPEA this year. Training of teachers in St. Luca began in November 2012 and will commence for St. Vincent and the Grenadines in January 2013.
In other matters, the Council approved its 2013 budget which provides for projected revenue of Bdos$51 million, 538 thousand and a total expenditure of Bdos$51 million, 968 thousand. The budget provides for key areas such as syllabus development and maintenance, examinations preparation, administration and security, business development, technology renewal, human resource management, research and development and management and engagement of stakeholders.
