Three CXC subjects now needed to join police force

May 20, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – A sound primary education is no longer sufficient to join the Guyana Police Force (GPF). In order to become a policeman or policewoman, you must have passes in at least three Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects.

GPF’s Training Officer, Kiethon King

In May 2019, Kaieteur News had reported that then Coalition government wanted to increase the qualifications needed to join the Force. The then Minister of responsible for the Force, Khemraj Ramjattan had said that works were being done to “professionalise police ranks” and “increase the capacity and capability of each and every detective”.
It was even proposed that five CSEC subjects should be part of the requirement for entry into the Force. Three years later under a new government, GPF has moved in this direction. At least, this is according to the Force’s training officer, Senior Superintendant Keithon King. King made this disclosure while being interviewed by GPF’s Deputy Communications Director, Stan Gouveia on the Force’s Education Sensitization Podcast on its Facebook Page. King said, “the Bar for acceptance into the Force is rising. We are looking for at least 3 CSEC subjects with passes from grades one to three.”
However, King noted that if someone has a particular skill that is needed for certain departments of the Force that individual still has a chance to be accepted. “If you have a special skill, minus the CXC (CSEC), we are still going to accept you a special skill that fits some department”, King told Gouveia.
He listed some examples of these departments as, GPF’s communication department, its transport workshop or the construction section. The Training Officer explained that, “sometimes a person may not have CSEC qualification but may have a skill certificate in an area that can make them eligible for acceptance.”
King was keen to note that the changes will affect some individuals who were in the Force and had left but now want to return. “It’s gonna be tough for them now because we are looking now for the acceptance for the recruits coming in now to the training college, we are looking for certain qualifications…we are looking at the skillset”, King said. He added that one of the reasons for raising the bar is because GPF wants its training colleges to be upgraded to academy status and receive ISO accreditation.

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