The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) will be introducing a new qualification called the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC), which will split traditional subjects into modules, enabling students to engage with the topics at their own pace. This applies to CSEC and CAPE subjects.
CXC registrar Wayne Wesley, speaking at a virtual media conference on April 15, said the certification will involve three tracks – an advanced, accelerated track with a compressed programme; a typical, general track with a two-year programme; or, an individualised, flexible track with an extended programme.
“What CTEC is doing is providing a level of flexibility to the system for people, regardless of their own particular circumstance that allows them to either leave school early or if they have difficulty covering certain content, they can now manage that content over a period of time. This certification is not lowering the standard.
“It’s the same level of CSEC and CAPE, we’re using the same syllabus, but what we have done is to pull these out into manageable components as modules in a particular subject and allow students to focus on a particular module at a particular time. This will allow them to finish the full CSEC certification.”
He said, for example, the Mathematics syllabus would be split into three modules, and achieving all three modules would mean the student would be awarded the subject. He said the process had been started with both English and mathematics.
Wesley said CTEC was addressing issues with students graduating from secondary school without certification.
“It can’t be that students have spent the better part of 18 years within the school system and end up leaving without any certification; so how do we begin to address that particular concern? One of the responses to CTEC is to ensure that students can, we can focus on the learner, we’re looking at the style of the learner, the rate at which the student learns, as well as the depth, the amount of content one can achieve.”
Wesley said if students had to leave the system for any reason, they could re-engage the subject at the next stage, without having to restart the entire subject.
“This will also add a lot of flexibility, as a student studying engineering can now take a module in business subjects, let’s say entrepreneurship, if they’re interested in starting their own business after finishing their programme.”
He said implementation would begin in September, with the first CTEC certification being issued in 2026.
He said the CTEC qualification would address the low numbers of passes in subjects like mathematics, which have been concerning.
In 2024, the pass rate for CSEC mathematics across the Caribbean was just 36 per cent of pupils.
The pass rate was 43 per cent in 2023, up from 37 per cent in 2022 and 34 per cent in 2021, the latter the likely fallout of the pandemic.
Fewer than one in 20 pupils got five passes inclusive of English and mathematics. In the region, 94 per cent of pupils failed to get five subjects or more.
“We are expecting to see a lot more improvement in people attaining mathematics," Wesley said.
"Under the CXC longitudinal framework, we’re taking a research-based approach over a long period of time to ensure that people are acquiring the competencies necessary to become proficient at mathematics and English.
"So from the primary level, we are treating with the issue of literacy and numeracy, because if those foundational skills are acquired early enough, then obviously when they get to the upper level of the secondary school level to write those exams, they are able to do so.”
Wesley said education ministries across the region were present on CXC's council and had been consulted.
"Whatever we're doing now, I would not be making public statements without first having some kind of discussion with them concerning the strategic direction in which we are moving.
"We have some governments waiting to start the pilot in September. It can't be rolled out in every country initially, we have to make sure we get it right."
Deputy CEO Eduardo Ali said there will be teacher training for the implementation of CTEC.
He said there would be two aspects of training. The first would be teacher orientation workshops where teacher educators would be taught how to teach others in their member state. The second would be training on how to build skills in delivering competency based education.
The TT Unified Teachers' Association said it would need more information on the development before making a comment.
The Education Ministry did not respond to an inquiry about the new qualification before press time.
On April 8, speaking at a meeting in Point Fortin, Prime Minister Stuart Young said he spoke to Caricom chair Mia Mottley about the need to change CXC’s CSEC syllabus to adapt to the modern age of education.
CXC: Subjects to be offered online in 2026
Wesley said beginning in 2026, all subjects offered in January will be done via online or via hybrid methods. He said students who were not able to do the subjects at that time would be accommodated in the May/June system.
CXC operations director Dr Nicole Manning said this system will be guarded against breaches and hacks, with security being a continuous target, as CXC sought to address the recent rise in cheating in the exams. She said the hybrid approach will also guard against power failures and other issues.
Ali said CXC had developed a skills and competencies framework for teaching by teachers, learning by students and assessment by CXC. He said as part of this framework, there were 239 sub-skills which would be assessed in students as part of their educational journey.
He said CXC was moving towards nationalising its subjects within the region and trying to forecast what the region needs now, with an eye on 2050.
The organisation is working with education ministries and the private sector and had developed five core areas aligned to regional constructs developed by Caricom and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Wesley said, adding that CXC was in discussions with various entities to ensure that every qualification is responsive to the needs of the region.
Ali said CXC was also working with higher educational institutions to facilitate equivalencies and credits and it was working on issuing credits for international recognition and other measures in line with its digital thrust.
Manning said there would be a digital town hall on April 24 at 5 pm for students and parents to ask questions.
