No change! Government pays CXC fees of students who can’t afford to

THE GOVERNMENT of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is committed to making sure all students are equipped to succeed in the classroom and as part of this approach, those who cannot afford to pay the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) fees, are assisted by government.

And as a result, over the last three years, the government has paid CXC/CSEC fees totalling $124,970.25 for 419 students.

Minister of Education Curtis King revealed these statistics in Parliament on Monday, April 28, 2025, while answering a question by the Opposition that mentioned Guyana as a country that pays the fees of all students.

King said Jamaica, like Guyana, also pays the fees for all students, but this has been known to be problematic as sometimes the money is wasted because students sometimes sign up for a certain number of subjects and then change their mind and sit a lower number.

“…the Honourable Member, referenced Guyana in his question… if I were to be candid and say, this new policy in the case of Guyana, may very well be attributed to that country’s newfound wealth, it may lead to a fundamental misunderstanding of our government’s approach to this issue,” King said.

“Let me state up front therefore, that our approach, this government’s approach to paying the fees for all students, is not influenced by financial considerations.

“…everyone in this country knows that we are deeply committed to our education revolution, and we leave no stone unturned in our effort to find the resources to support our students, Madam Speaker, we have given very serious consideration to this issue over the years,” King added.

He said government gathered the information, analysed the situation, and applied, “our heart to wisdom” and formulated a common sense approach that has thus far met the needs of students and other stakeholders.”

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