Latest update February 11th, 2025 2:15 PM
Apr 16, 2015 News
“Hundreds of thousands of US dollars,” said Dr. Roger Luncheon when asked of the cost Government will incur to shift the dates of a number of Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examinations in order to allow for the May 11 Polling Day activities.
The Head of the Presidential Secretariat made this disclosure as he hosted a post-cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President yesterday. He pointed out that while he was not in a position to give a precise figure, “I am told it’s hundreds of thousands of US dollars would be expended by the Government of Guyana in doing the rescheduling and meeting CXC cost for that.”
According to him, the real issue associated with the shifting of the examinations dates, is linked to the reformulation of the examinations since examination papers that were set for May 11 cannot be used locally for the new examination dates in later May and June. Because of the shift, new papers and a new set of logistics arrangements were put in place by CXC exclusively for Guyana, Dr. Luncheon informed yesterday. “I am told that work is indeed completed,” he added.
But while Dr. Luncheon was very forthcoming to respond when questioned of the cost Government will incur, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, has for nearly a week dodged a response in this regard.
This publication even before that, attempted to contact both the Minister and her Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, to shed light on the cost factor. However, it was another Ministry official, although unable to state the cost, who told this publication that all measures are in place to facilitate the examinations. “If you are asking about the cost I am not privy to that information,” said the official. She continued by adding that “at this point I can’t say what is the additional cost or if there was any at all.”
CXC Pro-Registrar, Mr. Glenroy Cumberbatch, had told this publication that while assisting CXC member countries to shift examinations dates, if the need arises, is not a challenge to the Regional examining body, the only factor that is not immediately known is the cost that will be incurred.
He informed that the associated cost to shift the date of the examinations therefore, will be one that the Government will have to pay in order to allow CXC to prepare and administer several parallel examination papers to local candidates. He had informed that, “that cost is being worked out and would form a contract between CXC and Government of Guyana.”
Ever since the clash between polling day and the examinations was recognised, the Education Ministry had been in close collaboration with CXC.
However Manickchand, had said, “we were not overly concerned…we expect mature behaviour that would not see us having security concerns.” She however, noted that the major concern was how to use the places of poll, which are schools that are deemed exam centres by CXC, to conduct the examinations under examinations conditions at the same time.
Cumberbatch had also noted that CXC’s principal concern was to ensure that the Guyana candidates, who registered to write the examinations, had the opportunity to write them in the conditions that they normally would. “The schools are the centres that are chosen and if the schools are to be used as polling stations, then it was not possible to have the two activities competing for the same space at the same time. Therefore, it was necessary to ensure that the candidates are not disadvantaged in any way on that given day,” said Cumberbatch.
Because of the change in the examination dates the morning of June 15 will see candidates sitting the following CSEC subjects: Agricultural Science (Double Award)-Paper2; Agricultural Science (Single Award)-Paper 2 and Theatre Arts –Paper1. In the afternoon of June 15, the following CSEC subjects will be written: Electrical and Electronic Technology-Paper 1; Food and Nutrition – Paper2. The CSEC examinations shifted to June 16 will include Home Economics: Management – Paper 2 and Technical Drawing-Paper 2 in the morning, and Electrical and Electronic Technology Paper 2 in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, CAPE subjects set for the morning of June 15 are: Geometrical and Mechanical Engineering Drawing Unit 1 – Paper 2, History Unit 1 – Paper 2 and Art and Design unit 1 and 2 – Paper 2 and 3, while in the afternoon candidates will undertake the Communication Studies- Paper 2. The following morning CAPE candidates will sit French Unit 2 – Paper 2 and Environmental Science Unit 2-Paper 2, while in the afternoon they will be tasked with sitting Pure Mathematics Unit 1 – Paper 2.
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