St. John’s Antigua- Caribbean Examinations Council CXC says it will be examining claims that the cost of the annual secondary level school leavers’ tests is too high.

 

That’s one of the reports with which Education Minister Dr  returned from a two-day Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Education Ministers’ meeting which just concluded in Basseterre St. Kitts.

 

She presented a paper on concerns about the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence, CCSLC and reservations which parents, teachers and students have expressed about its relevance, currency, and cost.

 

After the discussion which revealed that only limited use of the exam has been operational around the OECS; CXC Registrar Dr. Didacus Jules committed CXC to reviewing the cost.

 

The Ministers also examined the OECS Sector Strategy for 2012 to 2021.

 

Ministers accepted the concept paper as a “strong mandate to assist in the development of education.

 

The Ministers also discussed early childhood education; the UNICEF Child Friendly Schools initiative; teacher professional development; and the new Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment; which has been piloted in Grenada and Anguilla.

 

According to Minister Quinn-Leandro; the Ministers spent some time mulling the improvement of Mathematics across the region; sharing good practices for improving the delivery of the subject, and devising ways to train maths teachers across the region.

 

Dr Quinn-Leandro has offered to host the 23^rd Meeting of Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Education Ministers in June 2013.