Successful first day of CSEC, CAPE exams in western Jamaica
Published:Wednesday | June 30, 2021 | 12:08 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Principals across western Jamaica said Monday’s first day of this year’s sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) was a success at it saw the full cohort of students coming out to sit the scheduled examinations.
Linvern Wright, the principal of William Knibb Memorial High School in Trelawny, said that none of his students voiced any concerns about the completion of the syllabuses for their home economics and electronic document preparation and management papers, which they sat on Monday.
“Today [Monday] was good, as we had the maximum number of students for the subjects that were down for today. I actually greeted the students and wished them well, and I never heard any concerns expressed about the syllabuses,” said Wright.
“We have had our COVID-19 protocols in place, so we just continued doing what we were doing before,” added Wright, in outlining his school’s COVID-19-prevention measures for students sitting their examinations.
Michael Ellis, principal of the St James-based Cornwall College, said that his school had already solved its challenge of getting students out to complete their school-based assessments (SBA) and practical work, prior to Monday’s examination date.
“We organised ourselves and were very proactive about the process, and the boys came in and enjoyed their exams, and so we had no problem. We had been more concerned about them coming to do their SBAs and practical work, but as time went by and we got the initial opportunity to get them face-to-face, we completed most, if not all, of the practical side of it,” said Ellis.
Dr Michelle Pinnock, regional director for the Ministry of Education Region Four, confirmed in a brief statement that all students who were slated to sit their examinations were able to do so.
“All went well today, and the students who were expected to attend their examinations came,” Pinnock told The Gleaner.
Monday’s successful start to the CSEC and CAPE exams may provide some reassurance for students and teachers, following initial reports that students were concerned about completing the syllabuses for the various subjects.
Educators were also said to be worried about their students’ fate, as examination preparations had been significantly hampered by the lack of face-to-face classroom interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.