CXC high level team visits SVG while expressing regret about misunderstanding about bill

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®) has expressed regret about the circumstances that led to the misunderstanding, which resulted in the Government of St Vincent and the  Grenadines expressing concern about financial aspects of the administration of examinations in July  and August 2021, following the disruption caused by the eruptions of La Soufrière volcano.

A release dated October 25 said the CXC stands in solidarity with SVG and that a team should be in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) today to announce the results of this year’s July/August examinations for CAPE®, CSEC® and  CCSLC®.

“While the real cost of administering the examinations for St Vincent and the Grenadines had to be  accounted for, it was always the intention of the Caribbean Examinations Council to exercise its  humanitarian option, and to engage in a dialogue with respect to internal cost-sharing, in light of the  crisis. The process of evaluating the special invoicing adjustment was not complete and would only  be completed within the context of Ministerial dialogue. The matter is therefore still before us and  hopefully will be resolved expeditiously,” the release said.

Last week, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves expressed shock on radio about a bill of almost EC$700,000 that had been presented to the Government for costs related to the conduct of delayed examinations here.

“Nah, this is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous,” the Prime Minister commented.

“That number can’t be the real number. That is an inflated number of some kind!

“Heavenly father, $516,000 Bajan dollars?” he queried, adding, “Nah man, no, no, no, in dis ya time?”

Because of the disruption caused by the eruptions of La Soufriere in April this year, Vincentian students were allowed to sit CXC administered examinations later than other students in the region and were assessed only on Paper 1 (multiple choice) in addition to School Based Assessments (SBA). Their counterparts in other parts of the region wrote Papers 1 and 2, plus SBAs.

The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations in SVG commenced on August 2 and concluded on August 20, while the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) begin on August 16 and ran through to September 3.

CXC said in a release in September that it would release results for the June/July 2021 examinations to candidates in SVG on or before October 20, 2021. However October 20 has come and gone without the release of results.

It is not known if the delay is associated with the bill Gonsalves spoke about on radio.

Candidates in other parts of the region received their results on Friday, October 15.

Today’s release from the CXC said  a team from CXC®, led by Dr Wayne Wesley, Registrar and CEO, will  visit the island today, October 25 to announce the results of this year’s July/August examinations for CAPE®, CSEC® and  CCSLC®.