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Published:Tuesday | September 29, 2020 | 12:15 AM

Independent team to review CXC results

An independent review team will shortly probe concerns about reported anomalies in the grading of regional exams, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) announced on Monday.

CXC Chairman Professor Sir Hilary Beckles said the report would be produced for discussion with relevant stakeholders.

Hundreds of students have slammed the exam body’s administration of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

Preliminary CSEC and CAPE results were released last week.

Beckles said that CXC Registrar Dr Wayne Wesley and his team had met with regional ministers of education to discuss the concerns and identify the underlying causes.

“It is understood that while there might be policy and technical issues to be addressed immediately, the maintenance of public trust going forward is paramount,” said Beckles.

Wesley, when reached by The Gleaner late Monday afternoon, declined comment on the scope and timeline of the review, saying he was in a meeting.

Clean up your act, ministry warns sanitiser importers

Jamaica’s Ministry of Health & Wellness has warned importers of alcohol-based hand sanitisers that they must first have an approved permit from the Standards & Regulation Division before suppliers ship the product.

The warning comes a week after a Sunday Gleaner exposé found the market swamped with unapproved hand sanitisers as Jamaicans scoop up one of the most accessible weapons of war against the spiralling coronavirus pandemic.

The ministry said that there has been a “significant increase in the number of entities importing alcohol-based hand sanitisers without the requisite approval”.

Shipments that arrive in the island prior to a permit being approved might not be allowed to be cleared at the ports, the health ministry said. Stock could also be seized and destroyed.

The National Compliance and Regulatory Authority’s list, up to a week ago, contained 32 approved hand sanitisers. But the agency said it has identified 74 brands in the domestic market.

More than 50,000 products have been seized to date for failure to meet the requirements.