The 44th meeting of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) was officially opened in grand style at the Rodney McArthur Rey Auditorium on 6th December 2012. The evening was one of eloquent speeches, entertaining cultural performances and an enjoyable cocktail reception. The highlight was, no doubt, the distribution of awards to students from across the region for their outstanding performances in the May/ June 2012 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE). Pride beamed from the faces of the students, their parents and their country representatives during the awards ceremony, and rightly so for their hard work had paid off.
Amidst the festive atmosphere, what struck me about the evening was the similarity between the messages brought by CXC Registrar Dr Didacus Jules and our Minister of Education the Honourable Edison Baird. While obviously very different in style, the clarion call from both gentlemen was the need to revamp Caribbean education systems. They both shared the view that our education systems are failing our children and that there should be some sense of urgency on the part of Caribbean Governments to come up with a collective plan for education reform.
In the words of Mr Baird:
“If we view education as a tool for the advancement of Caribbean people, then we must agree that our education systems and our attitudes towards education need a major overhaul. We need to change course. We cannot continue to take the same old road… Our education systems must embrace all children, value and celebrate their talents and individuality and strive to meet their needs without attaching labels based on traditional perceptions of intellectual capacity.”
Mr Baird also cautioned that in fashioning an education system, Governments ought not to be only concerned with quick fixes, nor politicians with the next election. The Education Minister’s words seemed to resonate with the audience and it is my hope that they will spur us to action as we recognize the enormity of the problem in education around the region.
Dr Jules spoke in more graphic terms:
“Is it acceptable that after all of the investment by our governments and by parents, over the five years of secondary education, a student is allowed to depart the system without even being given the opportunity to obtain the exit certification? And is it not a further indictment of the system that the only exercisable option is remediation that is more of the same diet? …. When in some parts of the region, almost half the cohort who entered secondary school will exit five years later without qualifications, without hope, and with a cultivated sense of failure, then the prospect of creating a Caribbean civilization becomes nothing more than an illusion.
I … urge our policy makers to take heed of this crisis in education… We have the means to address these issues but it requires a concerted and unified political will, a strong developmental vision and the recognition that education is not a quick fix.”
Dr Jules also pointed out that the failure to address the problems in education will result in increased inequities in our societies, rising crime and unemployment. This is a connection many do not make.
Education in the Caribbean is indeed in crisis. By extension, this means our societies are in crisis. Having recognized this, the question is what are we going to do about it? Do we heed the clarion call, or do we ignore it? As we have heard, there are no quick fixes, but there is need for collaborative effort. I would encourage our Government to actively partner with other regional Governments, and with entities such as CXC, to ensure our education reform agenda meets both national needs and regional expectations, with the ultimate aim being that every child has a fair chance of success.
