ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A comprehensive review is underway at the regional level of the Caribbean Certification in Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) – a Caribbean examination introduced by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) in 2007.

CCSLC seeks to develop the skills, competencies and attitudes every high school graduate should have upon completion of secondary school education.

It also responds to the changing demand of education and is designed to certify the knowledge, generic competencies and attitudes and values that all secondary school leavers should have attained.

The programme was first introduced in Antigua through a pilot project and then rolled out in all the secondary schools.

Since its inception there has been mounting concerns from a local and regional level that the programme is a waste of much needed funds.

Education Minister Dr Jacqui Quinn-Leandro told OBSERVER Radio’s Voice of the People the assessment would be done to determine its future in public schools.

She said this has been the subject of much debate for quite some time.

She said “We are doing some assessment of it, not only in Antigua & Barbuda but across the region; there are some countries that have pulled out of CCSLC who have said this is too costly for parents to have to bear.”

One such country to pull out is Jamaica. Jamaica discontinued the programme in October 2011.

Registrar of Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Dr Didacus Jules last year called on governments and secondary schools across the region to make the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) compulsory for students.

(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)