Analysis of CSEC results reveals improvements in Maths & English

Aug 16, 2015 News

The Education Sector has long been struggling to maintain good performances in Mathematics and English. And a round of applause resonated throughout the auditorium of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) when Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, announced that an analysis of the 2015 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination results revealed improvements in the subject areas of Mathematics and English A.

Chief Executive Officer, Olato Sam

Sam conveyed that based on the analysis, there were increases in the Grade One to Three passes in Mathematics and English A.
The Mathematics pass rate this year is 45.07 percent up from 38.75 percent in 2014 and 28.92 percent in 2013 while the pass rate for English A this year is 49.36 percent, an improvement from 46.98 percent in 2014 and 45.69 percent in 2013.
The performance in English B on the hand has remained relatively constant. In 2014 the Grade One to Three pass rate in this subject area was 61.45 percent and 61.76 percent in 2015.
In the Business Education subjects, the performance in Economics, Office Administration and Principles of Business was excellent, said Sam, as he related that satisfactory performance was recorded in Principles of Accounts with a Grade One to Three pass rate of 65.43 percent.
Excellent performances were recorded in both Information Technology (General) and Electronic Document Preparation and Management, where the pass rates were 89.27 percent and 91.04 percent respectively, the CEO related.
He informed that while excellent performances were recorded in Agriculture Science (SA) and Agricultural Science (DA), there was a general decline of Grade One to Three passes in Biology, Chemistry and Physics as compared to the 2014 performance.
Excellent performances were also recorded in Theatre Arts, Physical Education and Sports with Grade One to Three passes being over 75 percent.
Based on the analysis of the results too, the Home Economics subject area of Clothing and Textiles reflected improved performance which translates to 63.41 percent in 2014 as against 75 percent this year. However there was a decline in the pass rates for Food and Nutrition and Home Economic Management, Sam observed.
The Industrial Technology subjects such as Building Technology (Construction), Building Technology (Woods) and Electrical and Electronic Technology recorded improved performances in Grade One to Three passes.
Sam also spoke of satisfactory performances in Caribbean History and Geography as he related that the pass rate for Caribbean History improved from 56.39 percent in 2014 to 59.7 percent in 2015. The Geography Grade One to Three pass rate for 2015 has been recorded as 53.59 percent, according to the CEO.
The Modern Languages subjects of French and Spanish also recorded satisfactory performances evident by the 54.96 percent Grade One to Three pass rate for French, while performance in Spanish declined from 62.61 percent in 2014 to 60.51 percent in this year.
Sam disclosed too that the overall performance in Chemistry, Physics, Visual Arts and Human and Social Biology was unsatisfactory.
The CEO however pointed out in his presentation that there has been a marginal increase in the Grade One to Three passes.
He revealed for instance that the overall pass rate at the General and Technical proficiencies for Grade One to Three was 62.72 percent as opposed to 60.21 percent in 2014. He however disclosed that the overall 2015 Grade One to Grade Four pass rate was 84.4 percent.
Local candidates wrote a total of 35 subjects at the examination and of these subjects the results indicated excellent performances in 15 subjects where the Grade One to Three passes exceeded 75 percent. These 15 subjects are: Agriculture Science, Clothing and Textiles, Economics, Home Economics Management, Information Technology, Office Administration, Principles of Business, Religious Education, Theatre Arts, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport, Additional Mathematics, Building Technology (Construction) and Building Technology (Woods).
Based on the analysis, satisfactory performances were recorded in 13 subjects where the Grades One to Three passes exceeded 50 percent while Grades One to Four passes were in excess of 75 percent. The subject areas in this regard are: Biology, Caribbean History, English B, Food and Nutrition, French, Geography, Integrated Science, Principles of Accounts, Social Studies, Spanish, Technical Drawing, Electrical and Electronic Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology.