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Where Education Ends Good Sense Should Begin

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Submitted by Paula Sealy

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

What mental health services will be provided after you have allowed Lower 6 (ages 16-17) CAPE 2022 students to be placed under severe anguish, unfathomable physical distress and untold mental strain?

In one country, secondary school students have spent approximately seven weeks at school for face-to-face instruction in preparation for their CAPE Unit 1 exams scheduled for next month. 

For those who do not know, Unit 2 of CAPE is completed in Upper 6 (17-18) as CAPE consists of two units over two years with two separate syllabuses and two separate exams. CSEC is a 2-year course of study which starts in 4th Form (14-15) and sees exams in 5th Form (15-16), by comparison. Unit 2 students had the benefit of last year’s experience when their Unit 1 exams began in June. That year’s experience still pushed many of their peers to venture off to technical and vocational studies, community college, UWI or the world of work instead of completing Unit 2.

Across the region, today, CAPE and CSEC candidates are in need of more time in order to complete the syllabus and ‘digest’ the material. I am disappointed but I am not surprised that good sense hasn’t prevailed. The Beckles stewardship model and the Wesleyan leadership style used by CXC do not endorse good sense.

Mses. Williams of Jamaica, McConney of Barbados, Gadsby-Dolly of Trinidad and Tobago, and Manickchand of Guyana, your countries are the major sources of candidates for CXC exams. Ladies, as Ministers of Education you need to challenge COHSOD to address the concerns of the students and teachers of the Caribbean where CXC is concerned with dutiful assiduity. If that fails, it is time enough to step out of your insular comfort zones and represent the children by all necessary and sufficient means.

Each one of the children matters and each one is not deaf or blind. Where education ends good sense should begin, not CXC exams.

May God help the Caribbean and its children. 

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134 responses to “Where Education Ends Good Sense Should Begin”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    Call for CXC exams to be postponed

    Article by Randy Bennett
    Published on April 20, 2022

    President of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) Dr Garth Anderson wants the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to delay this year’s exams by three weeks, and he has called on Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training Kay McConney for assistance in lobbying for the postponement.

    He made the plea while delivering the feature address at the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Annual General Meeting on Tuesday morning, when he said CXC was doing an injustice by proceeding as normal with the exams.

    “It is sad that the advocating that is taking place on behalf of our children is being done by teachers, students, parents; and our politicians, those we have elected to take care of our needs, seem to be in hiding,” he said.

    “The CUT has written to the chair of COHSOD [Council for Human and Social Development], who happens to be the Minister of Education of Barbados [Kay McConney]. Sadly, to date, we have no response from the Minister. We have sought several times to reach out to her office yet no response, and so, CXC is moving on with business as usual, a law unto itself and, I dare to posit, an organisation that seems to be suffering from serious constipation of ideas.

    “Last sitting [of the exams] we had the same challenges. COVID is still with us. Some of these students sitting the examination at this time would have been out of school two, three years, yet we are moving ahead,” the trade union leader said.

    He, therefore, used the occasion of Tuesday’s AGM to publicly call on Minister McConney to respond to the CUT, “so that we can seriously discuss the injustice on the way to our students who are not properly ready for the exams”.

    “We are asking for a three-week delay of the examination, for broad topics to be issued, for us to look at the requirements for the practical components for the SBAs, and practical SBAs in particular.

    “We don’t think we are unreasonable but we see where Ministers of Education are hiding, we have a responsibility as trade unions to call them out and we are calling out the Ministers of Education, under the leadership at this time by the honourable Kay McConney, so that we can give those who represent the future of this region a good chance to succeed. Failing to do so, we are going to pay the consequences later…,” Dr Anderson added.

    He expressed the hope that the region’s Education Ministers will speak out against CXC’s actions.

    “We are hopeful that the Ministers of Education across the region who have a constitutional responsibility to take care, to have an interest in the wellbeing of our students, will step up to the plate. They cannot allow CXC to continue the way they are going on at this time, as though normalcy has returned to our education system across the region,” he contended. (RB)

    Source: Barbados Today

  2. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    They were warned for years of their regressive approaches, pushing back the progress of Caribbean children for decades at a time….too much backward movement…

    William….and on and on it goes..

  3. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    I have an opinion that might not sit too well with others.

    CXC is becoming too much of a football. In a past year it was the grading. This year it is the timing and perhaps after the tests are taken, we will again begin to discuss the grading.

    My opinion on how the grading should be handled was criticized, but I believe it was handled as I thought it would be (beginning to sound like ‘another’ as I pat myself on the back).

    Honestly, a delay of 3 weeks will not change the grades that much. A few may benefit and some may even suffer.
    Let’s stick to the schedule. It was available for quite some time.
    (Will be patting myself on the back again).

  4. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    I would have more sympathy for the cause if people started to discuss the 2023 exams today. The same issues being raised now may still be oresent. Don’t wait until late April 2023 and ask for exams in May/June to be delayed.

  5. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Even Bushie is amazed that people can be so misguided…..and this after A DECADE of studying brassbowlery.

    WE spent the last 80 YEARS throwing everything that we had at education in the misguided expectation that this was the golden path to success.
    We spent a greater percentage of our GDP on this than any other Caribbean country – and possibly than ANY country anywhere. This was all driven by Barrow’s idea that education was the path to development.

    Obviously, some persons benefited from this investment.
    But when we find ourselves in 2022 with ALL of our family silver PAWNED off to foreigners…
    In MORE debt than practically EVERY other country on Earth
    Our businesses owned and managed by outsiders (some less ‘educated’ than we were)
    Unable to even feed and clothe ourselves without loans from foreigners
    Unable to fix SIMPLE issues like ‘deviant’ girls or issuing drivers licenses
    Legal system is a global joke
    Can’t even get a Republic move right, even though only Dodds has more lawyers per square foot that parliament.

    SHIITE MAN!!! you mean we cannot see that the ‘education’ thing AINT WUKKING?

    CXC Bushie’s black donkey!
    That was YET another stupid idea born out of CSME…. A Waste of time and money. But that is another issue.

    Why go on and on about ‘exams’ that benefit perhaps 10% of students (most of whom then move overseas and help the foreigners to take over Barbados), when there are such GLARING FAILURES everywhere else…?

    Steupssss… our asses are dying of cancer …and we have jokers complaining about, and fighting to address flatulence…..

  6. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    You are aware CXC is governed by a regional apparatus of which Barbados is a part?

  7. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “WE spent the last 80 YEARS throwing everything that we had at education in the misguided expectation that this was the golden path to success.”

    but they spent the same amount of time pushing back the progress of every generation of children across the region, by 30 or 40 years….as outlined in my book…

    fooling the public that colonial based tests make them intelligent….we need look no further from the parliament coming on down to see that BIG LIE….the delusion…..the misguided misleading….and now cannot walk any of it back…

  8. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    btw…the design is SUPPRESSION…that efficiently breeds OPPRESSION,,,

    that people who watched it all play out from the 70s when we became aware…saw it in all it’s ugliness negatively regress even further to this stage…a facade of educational non-development…,,,

    William can expand if he wants….

  9. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    You are aware CXC is governed by a regional apparatus of which Barbados is a part?
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Is that a question?
    CXC was a STUPID, knee-jerk creation EXACTLY like the Productivity Council and Public Sector Reform.
    A way to kick an issue down the road politically when you have NO IDEA how to address it.

    CXC is probably one of the MOST STUPID things that we have done since independence.

    Common Sense would suggest that…
    The ONE institution that you want to have as a GLOBAL entity (if you want to demonstrate that your scholars are WORLD CLASS) is your examination institution.
    Who the hell test THEMSELVES and then walk around begging the world to accept their standards?
    It also costs significantly MORE to do than using established, ACCREDITED international exam Boards…..but is creates a lot of paying Jobs for jokers who failed as teachers.

    What you want to KEEP for yourself are industries like food production and distribution, energy, transportation etc.

    You would KNOW that BBs would invest in their own ‘exam council’ and sell off their critical industries to foreign control.
    So now when the children pass these shiite exams …where they going wuk…? …and doing what?

    ….and then talk ‘bout how ‘smart’’ we are….
    Steupsss…

  10. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    Sorry for the typos.

    Are you saying you are comfortable accepting measures and evaluations designed by foreign agencies?

  11. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    David
    If you decide to compete GLOBALLY in the area of education, how the Hell would you expect to be measured?
    You would expect to build your OWN scale and then walk into the world with the outputs claiming relevance?

    Even our SELF INTEREST (if we TRULY were interested in education) would dictate that we want to know how our students are doing GLOBALLY, so that appropriate changes can be made for better and better results.

    Instead, we have TEACHERS and Parents calling for the LOWERING of the standards ‘so that more children can “””pass””” because of difficult times….

    You REALLY don’t see the self-defeating FOLLY?
    …unless of course the objective is to get 15 CXCs that no one else gives two shits about ANYWAY – since the foreign OWNERS will only offer you a job as a porter or security guard – even when you get your masters….

    Short-sightedness at its worse.

  12. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    Help the blogmaster to understand your point. When our students gain passes at CXC, CAPE and the other indigenous accreditations are they still able to successfully complete foreign exams when opportunity requires?

  13. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    What use is formal education to a people if it is not designed to capture and transfer the indigenous experience?

  14. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    That is what a ‘formal education’ is designed to do…?

    Bushie thought it was designed to prepare a student to be successful in this VILLAGE that we call Earth. Bushie’s bad!

    The bushman also thought that a more informal CULTURAL education was more appropriate to propagate the indigenous experience….
    But then Bushie is not comfortable being a sheep…..

  15. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    Until the introduction of CXC, our secondary school certificates were GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ level examinations, based on syllabi developed in the UK by the Universities of London and Cambridge.

    So, rather than addressing the problems confronting CXC, it seems as though some of us prefer the region to return to the days of “colonial based tests.”

    Are we blaming CXC for a number of business decisions made by men who were educated a British educational system?

  16. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    ***** educated UNDER a……….

  17. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    By your definition it means contrary to your many prognostications in this space, our people are condemned to serfdom; unable to create change based on indigenous learnings. Unless you are suggesting our region lacks the capacity to lead learning at any level to benefit the global experience.

  18. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ WURA
    It is extremely disappointing, that one of the best managed agencies of our region has now fallen from grace. Once more our “ highly” educated class in cahoots with their political associates have allowed a simple problem to gain huge weight.
    Another embarrassment is that we could not find one Barbadian to manage our most important industry. Yet, we continue to boast of our “ great educational system” I wonder how this compares to the German educational system.
    If you need to read a good article. read Esther Phillips letter to the editor in today’s nation.

  19. GP Avatar
    GP

    BUSHIE TEA

    I WILL DISCUSS A FEW THINGS WITH YOU SINCE YOU ARE AT LEAST SEEKING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES

    RE If you decide to compete GLOBALLY in the area of education, how the Hell would you expect to be measured?
    You would expect to build your OWN scale and then walk into the world with the outputs claiming relevance?

    YOU ARE AWARE THAT THE AMERICANS DO THAT……BUT THEY ARE WOEFULLY LACKING AND QUITE EXCELLENT IN THEIR FAILURE AT THIS.

    INITIALLY, AT LEAST, CXC HAD STANDARDS AND REQUIRMENTS QUITE ABOVE ITS PREDECESSORS
    20 YEARS AGO, I INTERACTED WITH A YOUNG CHURCH SISTER WHO WAS DOING CHEMISTRY AT CAPE LEVEL. MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT JUST AS AT ONE TIME WE MASTERED THE GAME OF CRICKET, THAT WE LEARNED FROM THEM, AND PLAYED IT BETTER THAN THEY EVER DID, THAT WE HAD DONE THE SAME WITH OUR EXAM BODY.

    FOR CHEMISTRY AT LEAST THE CAPE, (SUPPOSEDLY EQUIVALENT TO “A” LEVEL IN MY TIME) REQUIREMENTS WAS CERTAINLY MUCH MORE ADVANCED THAN WHEN I TOOK A LEVELS- WITHIN REASON AND THE EXPECTATION OF DANIEL 12:4 THAT KNOWLEDGE SHALL INCREASE.

    I N JANUARY 1979, MY COLLEAGUES TOOK AND OBTAINED THE NECESSARY 75% OR ABOVE IN THE 7 HOUR ECFMG EXAM, WHICH WAS REQUIRED FOR GETTING A RESIDENCY IN THE USA, AND WE DID SO 6 MONTHS BEFORE WE TOOK FINALS AT UWI—-WHICH WAS MUCH MORE INVOLVED AND DIFFICULT.

    I HAVE SINCE SEEN THE STANDARD OF THE CONTEMPORAY EXAM DEVOLVING AS PER YOUR FAVORITE SECOND LAW AS I HAVE SEEN STUDENTS, WHO I PERSONALLY TAUGHT, AND KNOW TO BE WARU-ESQUE OR AC-ESQUE PASS THE NEW USMLE EXAM, AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO THE RIGID MEDICAL CURRICULUM IN A SERIES OF BASIC SCIENCE COURSES CONDUCTED OVER 12-16 WEEKS.

    YOU CAN NOT POSSIBLY LEARN ANATOMY OR PHYSIOLOGY PROPERLY IN 12- 16 WEEKS
    I HAVE SIMILARLY FACILITATED A PHARMACOLOGY COURSE FOR NURSES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL NURSES EXAMS, USING THE APPROVED TEXTS THEREFOR. I CANT SEE THAT THEY CAN LEARN THE REQUIRED PHARM PROPERLY IN TWELVE WEEKS.

    SO I FIND IT HARD TO FULLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT “” f you decide to compete GLOBALLY in the area of education, how the Hell would you expect to be measured? You would expect to build your OWN scale and then walk into the world with the outputs claiming relevance? ”

    I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE, THAT YOU CAN SET UP MEANINGFUL, PRACTICAL PROCEEDURES TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.
    THE AMERICANS GVE YOU A BOOK AND TEST YOU ON THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOK, AND NO TEXT BOOK AT A CERTAIN LEVEL COVERS ANY SYLABUS ADEQUATELY.

    YOU AND I WOULD TAKE THE GIVEN SYLABUS AND ESSENTIALLY WRITE OR OWN BOOK, BY EXTRACTING THE INFORMATION FROM HERE AND THERE ………….THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID FROM THE FIRST COURSE I EVER TAUGHT AT TERTIARY LEVEL

    YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF SQUARE PEGS IN ROUND HOLES WHO ARE INCAPABLE OF THINKING THINGS THROUGH…….AND IMPLEMENTING WHAT IS NEEDED.

    WE NEED TO DECIDE AND KNOW WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW……AND WHY THEY NEED TO KNOW IT—-AND FIND SUITABLE MEANS AND MAN POWER TO GET THINGS DONE. IT REALLY IS NOT THAT HARD. IT CAN BE DONE SYSTEMATICALLY.

  20. GP Avatar
    GP

    RE When our students gain passes at CXC, CAPE and the other indigenous accreditations are they still able to successfully complete foreign exams when opportunity requires?

    YES WHEN THEY ENTER INFERIOR SYSTEMS
    WE ALL KNOW MYRIADS OF FELLAS WHO COULD NOT GET PASS THIRD FORM AT HC OR BFS IN OUR DAY, WENT TO THE US AND RETURNED WITH Ph D’s AND THIS WAS NOT ONLY JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE LATE DEVELOPERS ETC

    I HAVE MET SEVERAL STUDENTS UP HERE WHO CAN NOT WRITE AN ESSAY TO SAVE THEIR LIVES—THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF THE PROCESS OF :””SYNTHESIS””

    RE What use is formal education to a people if it is not designed to capture and transfer the indigenous experience?

    WE MUST AGREE WITH BUSH TEA THAT …..formal education OUGHT TO BE designed to prepare a student to be successful in this WORLD …….AND THAT PROPER AND a more informal CULTURAL education was more appropriate to propagate the indigenous experience….

    ARTAX CORRECTLY POINTS OUT THAT ” Until the introduction of CXC, our secondary school certificates were GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ level examinations, based on syllabi developed in the UK by the Universities of London and Cambridge.” AND INTIMATES THAT WE OUGHT TO address the problems confronting CXC, RATHER THAN returnING to the days of “colonial based tests.”

    HOWEVER, I CAN NOT SEE WHY men who were educated a British educational system CAN NOT APPLY THE REQUIRED PURPOSED PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES NECESSARY FOR OUR EDUCATIONAL NEEDS.

    WE HAVE DONE THIS AT UWI MEDICAL SCHOOL IN THE PAST IN CERTAIN RESEARCH AT TMRU, ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE, OCCLUSIVE DISEASE OF THE LIVER, POLIO REHAB, ETC AND ESPECIALLY IN THE DM PROGRAMM IN OBS AND GYNAE, WHERE CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO IMPROVE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH IN THE SMALLER UNDERDEVELOPED ISLANDS

    THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR OWN HOSPITAL FROM THE 70’S WITH THE CARRIBEAN DEVELOMENT SCHEME IS TESTIMONY TO THIS FACT.

    WE HAVE CAPABLE FOLK IN THE CARRIBEAN TO DO THE NECESSARY, I AM SURE. BUT……………
    JUST LOOK AT HOW WE HAVE LET FOLK COME TO OUR ISLANDS WITH THEIR MEDICAL SCHOOLS AND HAVE OFFERED NO MEDICAL BENEFIT WHAT SOEVER. THEY HAVE BROUGHT ONLY A NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE MERELY LONGER STAYING TOURISTS WHO RAISE THE RENTS IN THE ISLANDS, AND RENT A FEW HOUSES AND APARTMENTS AND FREQUENT OUR RESTAURANTS ETC

  21. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Children who want to build up work experience to pursue specialist careers in various fields such as science etc will need internationally recognised qualifications to work or study abroad where there are more opportunities for better jobs. They will also be more motivated if they know their educational efforts will achieve direct results in employment prospects to improve their standard of life.

  22. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “Yet, we continue to boast of our “ great educational system” I wonder how this compares to the German educational system.”

    will do William…

    the plight of an ASSIMILATED people…

    children in Europe don’t attend school until around age 7…it makes a huge difference in development..they cover a much wider area of knowledge, and many avenues to choose from, definitely are not insular educationally or socially…

    that’s why Barbados has to hire one for at least 1/4 million a year to do what they cannot do themselves….

  23. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @David, your griot @BushTea’s argument re CXC is perplexing – even shocking – if viewed as a standalone. Based, however, on his oft stated strong opposition to the CSME it fits right in. On both fronts he is definitely WRONG.

    Anyhow, the real test of whether the CXC and CAPE curricula has been well thought out and is fit for purpose for our students to academically fit “at any level to benefit [in] the global experience” would be RESULTS. Have our ‘A’ students or others been disadvantaged when they transferred credits or applied to any international well-regarded institutions? Have they struggled in adapting to the work-load once they entered those institutions?

    From my limited exposure of a few nieces and nephews and God-children who did relatively well at local brand name schools the answers to the above are NO and NO!

    The griot has some strong personal issues with the CXC and that’s all good but beyond that his argumentation does not meet the basic level of ‘commonsense’ awareness that we HAD to take charge of creating or OWN standards and show the WORLD that in fact we understood standards of excellence and could effectively incorporate them into our curricula.

    It is absurd to think that we would talk so grandly of where we come from as originators of knowledge but would yet kowtow at the feet of our colonizers and so meekly continue to accept THEIR direction and authority with what and how we should educate our children. Totally absurd. And @BushTea knows that fully well!

  24. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    The fact that this CXC issue raises its head every year suggests to me that there is no genuine effort being made at compromise and some persons are hell bent on devaluing the high standards set by CXC.
    We are operating in turbulent times and we have to cooperate and compromise. The candidates ought to be tested on the areas for which they were adequately prepared. The objective of Education is to transmit the ability to lean how to learn, and to think critically. Does it really matter if the student covers the whole syllabus?

  25. GP Avatar
    GP

    WARU
    RE the design is SUPPRESSION…that efficiently breeds OPPRESSION,,,WE spent the last 80 YEARS throwing everything that we had at education in the misguided expectation that this was the golden path to success.”but they spent the same amount of time pushing back the progress of every generation of children across the region, by 30 or 40 years….as outlined in my book…

    YOUR BOOK IS READ BY WHOM, EXACTLY? WHAT HAS YOUR BOOK DONE TO ENHANCE THE LIVES OF ANY ONE ANYWHERE, IN BARBADOS, THE REGION , THE WORLD, OR EVEN ONE SINGLE COCKROACH, OR RED ANT? DONT BORE US WITH YOUR NORMAL PITIFUL PITHY POSTS

    fooling the public that colonial based tests make them intelligent….
    I HAVE MET MANY VERY WESTINDIAN SCHOLARS AND TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES WHO WERE SUBJECTED TO COLONIAL BASED TESTS AND WHO ARE QUITE INTELLIGENT, AND HAVE SERVED THIER COUNTRIES AND OUR THE REGION WITH DISTINCTION, E.G PROFESSOR SIR G A O ALEYNE

    WE DONT KNOW WHERE YOU GOT YOUR misguided misleading “EDUCATION” BUT I AM SURE THAT YOU EXHIBIT ALL THE SYMPTOMS OF DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR, AND THAT YOU ARE QUITE INCAPABLE OF ADVANCING ONE SINGLE THOUGHT THAT WILL IMPROVE ANYTHING ANYWHERE FOR ANYONE…….EXCEPT BY YOUR JUST SHUTTING UP

    AND STOP ASKING WILLIAM FOR HELP
    HE CAN NOT CORRECT ANY OF THE SHITE YOU PUT ON BU DAILY, AND PERENNIALLY
    GO SEE IF YOUR ANCESTORS IN AFRICA CAN HELP
    THERE MUST BE SOMETHING IN THE PYRAMIDS SOMEWHERE, OR BURIED IN SOME ONE’S TOMB OR ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE, THAT CAN BE USE TO TREAT YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC ABBERRATIONS

  26. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    A more reasonable observation may be if CXC curricula marginalizes too many with those positioned at the pinnacle of social strata able to navigate better because of support.

  27. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David Bu at 11:11 AM
    It has not been my experience that exams have a social class bias.And certainly not at the CXC and CAPE levels. I see students from all socio-economic backgrounds failing and passing these exams equally. Is your observation being viewed through the correct lenses?

  28. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    Not questioning that point. With the pandemic raising the issue of sufficient time not given to students to complete syllabi it is the blogmaster’s experience those at the upper end of social class can expect additional support to address gaps.

  29. David Avatar
    David

    How can the system be flexed to accommodate the reality of what is going on. Seems to be several issues going on here.

  30. GP Avatar
    GP

    DPD
    RE Anyhow, the real test of whether the CXC and CAPE curricula has been well thought out and is fit for purpose for our students to academically fit “at any level to benefit [in] the global experience” would be RESULTS. Have our ‘A’ students or others been disadvantaged when they transferred credits or applied to any international well-regarded institutions? Have they struggled in adapting to the work-load once they entered those institutions?

    From my limited exposure of a few nieces and nephews and God-children who did relatively well at local brand name schools the answers to the above are NO and NO!

    YOUR LIMITED EXPERIENCE IS INDEED VERY VERY LIMITED . IT SEEMS THAT YOUR “nieces and nephews and God-children” ARE VERY MUCH LIKE YOU, AND ARE UNABLE TO APPLY WHAT THEY LEARNED IN THE ” local brand name schools”
    BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS FROM BOTH BARBADOS AND THE REGION CONTINUE TO DO EXCEPTIONALLY WELL ABROAD.

    IN MY VERY LIMITED EXPERIENCE, ALSO, I NOTE THAT MY STUDENTS WHO RECIEVED THEIR FORMAL EDUCATION IN PARTS OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH ARE GENERALLY MORE COMPETENT AT SYNTHESIS AND ADAPTATION TO STANDARDS.

    FORGET THIS DISCUSSION ON EDUCATION AND SEE IF YOU CAN HELP YOUR PARTY MEMBERS STEAL THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS, AND IN DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE

    THEIR IS A LOT OF MERIT IN WHAT BUSH TEA IS SAYING. HE MAY BE A BIT BIASED ABOUT SOMETHINGS BUT HE IS MAKING MORE SENSE THAN YOU

    OUR FAILED EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM SET UP ESSENTIALLY A 6TH FORM SCHOOL IN 1669 AND TURNED IT IN TO A DEGREE GRANTING ORGANIZATION.

    MY SECOND SON GRADUATED WITH A BA, IN WHICH HE RECIEVED VERY GOOD TRAINING IN PHOTOGRAPHY SUCH THAT HE HAS NOT ONLY BEEN ABLE TO TURN OUT EXCEPTIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS, BUT EARNS A LIVING IMPARTING THESE SKILLS TO OTHERS ACCORDING TO WHAT I CONSIDER THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION AS CLEARLY ENUNCIATED IN 2 TMOTHY 2 V 2. VIZ WWHERE EDUCATION IS TRANSMITTED BY A SERIES OF FOUR TEACHERS AND LEARNERS THUS —> TEACHER 1 TEACHES LEARNER 1 WHO BECOMES TEACHER 2=> HE THEN TEACHES LEARNER 3
    ETC THE IDEA IS ALWAYS TO PRODUCE “FAT MEN” I.E FAITHFUL ABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY PERSONS WHO CAN CARRY ON THE PROCESS.

    THAT IS THE LEGACY THAT THE BRITS LEFT US. THEY TAUGHT US, WHAT EVER THEIR FLAWS, HOW TO BE FAT MEN.
    THIS IS WHY WE HAVE BEEN DECLINING SINCE INDEPENDENCE

    THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE IN FAT MEN PRODUCTION. THIS IS SO IN CRICKET, POLITICS, EDUCATION AND EVERY OTHER SPHERE OF LIFE. IT IS SO ON BU TOO!

    THE FORMER FAT MEN HAVE DIED OUT AND SUCCESIVE GENERATIONS HAVE FAILED TO FOLLOW AND/OR IMPROVE THE METHODOLOGY OF OUR TRADITIONS AND HAVE FAILED TO ADAPT.

    WE HAVE ALSO SOUGHT TO COPY THE IGNORANCE AND DECADENCE OF THE AMERICANS, WHILE WE CUSS AND DENIGRATE THE BEST OF WHAT WE WERE TAUGHT, WHILE ABANDONING THE WORSE OF WHAT WE WERE TAUGHT.

    I HAD A TEACHER AT BCC ASSIGNED TO TEACH ME ZOOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. I CANNOT TELL YOU ONE THING HE TAUGHT ME IN THOSE SUBJECTS. BUT HE ENHANCED BY LIFE BY TEACHING ME HOW TO MANAGE TIME, WHICH FOR A START HELPED ME TO PAST TWO VERY IMPORTANT EXAMS IN MY EARLY CAREER.

    I HAD A SIMILAR VERY STRICT JAMAICAN WOMAN TEACH ME IN BIOLOGY AT UWI, WHO STRESSED PLANNING AND CLASSIFICATION OF THINGS.

    I HAD OTHERS WHO TAUGHT THE NEED TO PUT AN EMPHASIS ON DETAIL

    ALL OF THESE WERE PERSONS WHO DEVELOPED IN OUR MISGUIDED INFERIOR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS AT OUR DEFICIENT BRAND NAME SCHOOLS

    I AM SORRY THAT THE MORONS WHO COME HERE TO BULL SHIT DAILY, DID NOT MEET OR WERE NOT TAUGHT BY SOME OF THESE FOLK IN OUR POOR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WITH COLONIAL EXAMS.

    I CAN NOT COUNT THE MANY IN MEDICINE ALONE THAT HAVE BEEN TRAIL BLAZERS IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD

    I TRIED TO COMPLIMENT A FORMER SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER AND PASTOR FOR TEACHING ME THE METHODOLOGY OF STUDYING AND PRESENTING THE WORD. HE SAID IT IS NOT US, YOU WENT AND STUDIED ELSEWHERE. I TOLD HIM NO SIR. WHEN I WENT OTHER PLACES THEY ENQUIRE, OF ME FROM WHENCE I GOT THE BASICS.

  31. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    CXC takes things way too far, there is no social conscience.

    Dr. Perv…wait until ya hear about Book 2-10…before climbing ya high horse, don’t want ya to fall off too early, ya may break something……lol

  32. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    Vincent Codrington April 21, 2022 11:25 AM #: “I see students from all socio-economic backgrounds failing and passing these exams equally.”

    @ Mr. Codrington

    A few weeks ago I was in conversation with some acquaintances, some of whom actually believed the CXC syllabus varies according to schools.

    That a grade one (1) in CXC chemistry, from Harrison’s College, is on a ‘higher level’ and much more recognized, for example, than a grade one (1) in CXC chemistry from Princess Margaret Secondary School.

  33. NotreveR Avatar
    NotreveR

    Good job GP.

  34. GP Avatar
    GP

    RE How can the system be flexed to accommodate the reality of what is going on. Seems to be several issues going on here.
    NO. ITS ONE ISSUE
    PIG HEADEDNESS & THE INABILITY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE OBVIOUS CORRECT AND PRACTICAL THING TO DO.
    IT IS THE CARRIBEAN THING
    I HAVE WITNESSED AN EXCELLENT TEACHER AT A MED SCHOOL DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BECAUSE HE WAS OVERWEIGHT, AND A NON MEDIC PROMOTED TO SET UP A TEACHING SCHEDULE INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO PERSONEL WHO HAD GONE TO MED SCHOOL AND HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVOLVED IN SETTING UP AND ADVISING THEREIN

    ITS VERY MUCH LIKE HOW YOU DOES TEK DUNG MY GOOD POSTS OR CHASTIZE UNECCESARILY AND RUDELY MANY OF THE DWINDLING NUMBER OF FOLK WHO COME HERE DAILY TO MAKE BU A REALITY.
    YOU DONT SEEM TO REALIZE THAT YOU CAN NOT DO IT ALONE. AND YOU CAN NOT TOLERATE FORTHRIGHT FOLK LIKE ME. AND THE BU QUALITY IS SUFFERING

    YOU WILL NOW TEK DUNG THIS POST BECAUSE YOU DONT LIKE MY LAST PARAGRAPH, DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU MUST KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY SENSE THAT I HAVE CONTRIBUTED THE MOST SENSE TO THIS THREAD THIS MORNING UH LIE

    IT IS THE SAME THING THAT IS DESTROYING ALL OF OUR CARRIBEAN INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING CRICKET AND UWI
    RECENTLY VC BECKLES UP AT MONA FIGHTING WID DE CHANCELLOR BERMUDEZ

    BECKLES HAS DONE NOTHING OF REAL SUBSTANCE FOR THE REGION………AND CERTAINLY NOTHING LIKE BERMUDEZ HAS

  35. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    The world is moving on in terms of educational form, even the way classes/teaching is presented has evolved….some schools don’t use textbooks anymore and that was from around 15-20 years ago when that particular pilot project started…….the Caribbean will remain behind if they don’t try to catch up…but the intent is a steady supply of sheeple and slaves…so don’t hold ya breath…

  36. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    The world is moving on in terms of educational form = educational REFORM…

  37. NotreveR Avatar
    NotreveR

    “That a grade one (1) in CXC chemistry, from Harrison’s College, is on a ‘higher level’ and much more recognized, for example, than a grade one (1) in CXC chemistry from Princess Margaret Secondary School.”

    We know that having HC on your resume is a plus, but could a Grade 2 from HC trump a Grade 1 from elsewhere?
    Have we ‘corrupted’ the system so that instead of the ‘best man’ we select the ‘best school’ for the job?

    (Name changed)

  38. David Avatar
    David

    Is it that grades earned from different schools are differently assessed or what we know to be the case of public perception of older grammar schools compared to comprehensive.

    Also CXC papers are evaluated by non Barbadian assessors?

    Please educate the blogmaster.

  39. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ GP
    It is hard to argue with sheep that there may in fact, be downsides to getting ‘fat’.
    Perhaps we need a special CXC Lukewarm Level… so that even more ’special’ Bajans can get some qualifications ..and seem smart.

    How do you try to convince black belly sheep, who are comfortable in owning nothing, and who are happy to be perennially begging their white or foreign bosses for pay increases and for ‘minimum’ wages, about the need to prepare children to compete at the GLOBAL level? ..and to become BOSSES themselves?

    Bushie should have known better than to pour fine wine into black belly sheep skins…..
    In ANY case, ….it is much too late.

    Bushie out….

  40. GP Avatar
    GP

    ALL WE NEED TO FIX THINGS IS A CADRE OF MEN AND WOMEN WITH STRONG SPINES TO STAND UP
    ONE OF MY HC TEACHERS WHO WENT ON TO TEACH AT THE UWI SCHOOL OF EDUCATION TOLD ME OF PRESSURES HE FACED THEREAT 20 YEARS AGO. SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS WERE COMING OVER FROM THE OTHER CONTRIBUTING ISLANDS, AND FAILING MISERABLY, AND THEIR GOVERNMENTS WERE REQUESTING THAT THEY BE PASSED.

    WHEN I WENT TO CAVE HILL 5O YEARS AGO, THE SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS WHO CAME FROM THE ISLANDS, BECAUSE THEY WORKED HARDER THAN US YOUTHS. THEY HAD A DIFFERENT GROUNDING AND KNEW OF THE VALUE OF HARD WORK, AND THEY VALUED THEIR LAST OR ONLY CHANCE TO GET A DEGREE OR DO A HIGHER DIPLOMA COURSE.

    WE DONT TINK THROUGH THINGS CORRECTLY
    I HAD A NUMBER OF SENIOR LOCAL NURSES AND RADIOGRAPHERS AND PHYSIOTHERAPISTS ETC TRYING TO DO FAST PACED BASIC SCIENCE COURSES AT A SCHOOL AT WHICH I TAUGHT IN CURACAO.

    THEY WERE VALUED AS STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY WERE WELL OFF TO PAY THE FEES, BUT IT WAS NOT CONCIEVED THAT THEY COULD BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED SLOWER, DO THEIR CLINICAL TRAINING LOCALLY, BE GIVEN EXAMS TO SUIT PURPOSE, RATHER THAN THE STUPID US EXAM AND BRING BENEFIT TO THE ISLAND.

    ONE OF THESE STUDENTS, WHO WAS VERY SLOW, BUT COULD AFFORD IT QUIT AND WENT ELSWHERE AND COMPLETED IN SIX YEARS, AND THEN WENT ON TO DO HER PhD IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND TO SERVE NOT AT HOME, BUT IN HOLLAND.

    ANOTHER STUDENT, WHO WAS TRAVELING FROM OONE A BC ISLAND TO THE NEXT DOING GOOD RADIOGRAPHY WAS LEFT BY THE WAY SIDE, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN PRODUCING DRS TO SERVE IN CURACAO, THEY WERE HOPING TO MILK US AND CANADIAN STUDENTS TO MAKE MONEY. I SAW IT NEEDFULL TO DO BOTH, AND I COULD SEE HOW WITH HER SOLID BASE IN PRACTICAL RADIOGRAPHY THAT SHE COULD BECOME A CONSULTANT RADIOLOGIST.

    IN MY PHARM CLASS AT BCC, I IDENTIFIED THE HIGH FLYING STUDENTS WHO COULD GO ON TO BE SERIOUS PHARMACOLOGISTS AND SOUGHT TO HELP THE WEAK ONES WHO WOULD NEVER BE MORE THAN VERY GOOD TABLET COUNTERS WHO WOULD COME DAILY AND DILIGENTLY WORK FOR THEIR WORKING LIVES DOING THE NECESSARY

    PEOPLE MATTER JUST AS MUCH AS EXAM RESULTS. THE PHARM STUDENT WHO GETS A’S IS PROBABLY NOT NECESSARILY CAPABLE OF BEING BORED COUNTING TABLETS DAILY, THE PLODDER MAY BE MORE PRONE TO STAY THE COURSE DOING THE DAILY DRUDGE FOR DECADES.

    WE NEED TO THINK
    THAT IS WHY WE HAVE A WORKABLE NHS THAT IS NOT LIKE THE BRITISH BUT DESIGNED FOR OUR NEED—AND ST LUCIA HAS COPIED IT. IT IS BECAUSE SOME ONE WAS CAPABLE, HAVING GONE THROUGH OUR FAILED EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

    SO DID WAYNE GREAVES AND OATES BANFIELD AT PFIZER AND THE BOY FROM CHLESEA RD THAT CONCIEVED THE SEARCH ENGINE THAT MORPHED INTO THE INTERNET.

  41. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “Have we ‘corrupted’ the system so that instead of the ‘best man’ we select the ‘best school’ for the job?”
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Perhaps you’ve never heard about the ‘old school tie.’

  42. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    We send people from the region to complete post grad in Monitoring and Evaluation and then say to them they are not qualified to create programs to adequately test our students?

  43. NotreveR Avatar
    NotreveR

    No further education required. Please best in mind, you can develop the best system in the world, but it will exhibit some of the flaws in the people running/using it

  44. GP Avatar
    GP

    RE some schools don’t use textbooks anymore and that was from around 15-20 years ago when that particular pilot project started…….the Caribbean will remain behind
    BOTH BULL SHIT AND LIES

    GO ON ANY AND EVERY COLLEGE AND INIVERSITY WEBSITE AND YOU WILL SEE THEI BOOK LIST THAT THEY USE
    BOTH RECOMMENDED BOOKS AND NECESSARY TEXTS.

    MOST SCHOOLS GO BY THE BOOK!
    WHEN YOU ARE ASKED TO DEVELOP A NEW COURSE YOU ARE OFTEN ASKED TO SUPPLY A BONE FIDE BOOK IN THE SUBJECT AREA.

    IN MY BIOCHEM COURSES I ASK YOU TO USE MY PPTS BECAUSE THERE ARE ANIMATIONS IN WHICH THE MOVEMENT OF THE H + IONS ESPECIALLY ARE HIGHLIGHTED

    IN OTHER COURSES MY PPTS ENHANCE THE OFFERINGS IN THE BOOK.

  45. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Looks like WordPress and typos combined to get me.
    Old name

  46. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    @GP
    I am glad you are here.

  47. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    As a teacher, you may create a lesson based on several books.

    My son’s teachers would provide photocopied, links, PowerPoint and several references. Some books were available online

  48. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    GP…that’s why i said SOME…eliminating textbooks has been a work in progress for years….sometimes things take decades to evolve, never happens overnight..

    “Bushie should have known better than to pour fine wine into black belly sheep skins…..
    In ANY case, ….it is much too late..”

    don’t waste time or energy, the changes have to come at the individual level and start from within…….will never happen at the pack mentality measure..which has shown,,,,cannot/will never work when ALL were educated under the same system, few have evolved or carry what it takes and those are the ones who know to stay away…

    may as well resign yaself..they are so empty of self-esteem, they may just beg another former colonizer country to help them design a new education system….have not heard lately but how is Europe coming along in drafting Barbados’ republic constitution…that none of the “educated” can do themselves.

  49. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    David April 21, 2022 12:38 PM

    Don’t students from different secondary schools in Barbados attended university and sit side by side each other during lectures and tutorials?

  50. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “Some books were available online”

    one of my grands found that out the hard way, the only person to have a textbook in class….everyone else whipped out their phones and clicked on a link, last time a text book got purchased by that one…..books are in pdf format, easy to download, reduce paper use…etc….give it another 10-20 years, and the next generation will be asking how did students manage carrying heavy books……

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