Minister of Education and Youth the Hon. Fayval Williams says the Ministry has requested an urgent meeting with Chairwoman of CARICOM’s Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD), Senator the Hon. Kay McConney, to appeal for an extension of this year’s secondary exit exams.

Minister Williams revealed this during her closing remarks at the Installation Ceremony of the National Youth Advisory Council of Jamaica, 2021/23 cohort. The ceremony was held at the Office of the Prime Minister on Friday (April 22).

The request was made after the ministry, in collaboration with the National Secondary Student’s Council, conducted a survey between February 23 and March 8 which asked students about their preparedness for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) examinations.

“We surveyed 2812 students and 1754 of them expressed the need for additional time to prepare for the sitting of these exams,” she said.

She noted that the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), despite numerous appeals, did not grant an extension of the examination dates.

She said the council suggested that students who are not ready to sit the exam should defer, “we do not believe that should be the only option available for students.

“We believe our students deserve additional time for their exams and so [we will] present our case to them. Some of the other accommodations they made last year, we’re asking for those as well,” she said.

The minister shared that since January, the ministry has advocated orally and in written format for the extension. “Students absolutely need more time and so we will be advocating strenuously for this. COHSOD is the last level in terms of calling attention to this problem,” she stated.