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CXC’s Agriculture Science poised to produce more leaders – Agri Minister
“Why only now? This should have been done a long time ago!” exclaimed Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, as he delivered the feature address to launch the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC)’s introduction of Agricultural Science to the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency (CAPE) curriculum yesterday.
At a simple ceremony at the Theatre Guild, Parade Street, Georgetown, the local Agriculture Minister lauded the historic move, which will see five additional subjects being belatedly added to CXC’s CAPE offerings.
It was the view of Minister Ramsammy that the introduction of Agricultural Science, in particular, is better late than never. “It is the right thing to do; it is more than the right time to do it too.”
CXC’s Mr Glenroy Cumberbatch hands over a digital format of the Agricultural Science syllabus to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand
He vocalised his conviction that there are many who have contributed to a startling anomaly in the Region which has caused some to embrace the belief “that farming is for those who fail, that farming is for those who can’t do anything better.
“We have propagated the notion that success is about being a doctor, a medical doctor at that, a lawyer, an engineer, an accountant…In my days it was a measure of success to be a teacher; we’ve referred to farmers as the peasants and we treat them as peasants, never-mind some of them were the wealthiest people in our countries,” said Dr Ramsammy.
He pointed to the fact that a poor person struggling with a shop for instance is seen as an entrepreneur or a professional but the farmer who, according to him, “can buy that professional family a 100 times over and more is seen as a peasant. It is time that we change that.”
It is the expectation of the Minister that graduates of Agricultural Science at the level of CAPE will be the next leaders of agriculture production and the economy of the Region.
In addition to Agricultural Science, CXC will from September be offering Entrepreneurship, Performing Arts, Physical Education and Sport, and Tourism at CAPE. This development will see a total of 30 subjects now being available to students.
Speaking at the ceremony to launch Agricultural Science, CXC’s Acting Registrar, Mr Glenroy Cumberbatch, disclosed that in the early years CXC was faced with one challenge to replace the existing examinations offered by Examining Boards outside of the Caribbean.
The argument that was obtained, he noted, was that what CXC was offering was not better than what existed before. As a result, the Caribbean examining body was tasked with proving that it had not only the people but the resilience to deliver quality examination to all learners in the Caribbean.
In alluding specifically to the delivery of Agricultural Science, Cumberbatch noted that the Caribbean will be in a better position to highlight its food culture to the international world which is in fact the intent of the other programmes offered by CXC.
Each of the new subjects were introduced with a focus on particular countries – Guyana – Agricultural Science; Trinidad and Tobago – Entrepreneurship; Barbados, Tourism; St Lucia – Performing Arts; and Jamaica – Physical Education and Sport.
The first subject launch was on May 9 last in Barbados. Yesterday was the second in the series of planned launches. Students will be able to choose from the lot of subjects being offered regardless of which Caribbean territory they originate from.
According to Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, it is indeed heartening that CXC is conscious of its duty to meet the needs of changing societies. As such, she noted that “the launch speaks to them making the efforts to meet the needs of the Caribbean today as well as the needs that will be relevant for the future.”
The Minister commended the leadership of CXC as well as the teachers and other personnel who were involved in creating the new CAPE subjects.
CXC’s introduction of the subjects is a strategic move to respond to the social and economic needs of the Caribbean.
According to CXC, “This step is a giant leap towards providing our youth with the knowledge, the confidence and insights needed to change the quality of the experience we sell.”
Yesterday’s event, which was chaired by CXC’s Assistant Registrar Cleveland Sam, was also graced by Representative of the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Mr Norman Gibson.
CXC has partnered with CARDI and a number of other entities to offer the subjects at the level of CAPE. It was also attended by a number of students and also entailed an agriculture exhibit, compliments of the Ministry of Agriculture.
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