By January next year the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) could be housed in its new headquarters in the Pine, St Michael.
Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones made this announcement today while addressing the CXC Appreciation and Awards Luncheon at the Crane, St Philip.
While noting that there were some challenges along the way, Jones reported that the new building was now “a completed facility”.
“There were some hiccups –– not in the construction, that went very smoothly –– but in the negotiations that were done through the National Insurance Scheme and therefore it has to be leased by the Ministry of Housing and Lands and passed over to be used by the Caribbean Examination Council,” he said.
“Therefore I am looking forward within the shortest possible time [to] have that facility for the staff of the CXC. It is really an outstanding facility,” he added.
The Minister of Education also hailed the regional examinations body as “one of the leaders in the Caribbean region”, saying,“[before] when you look across the region it was cricket, but now there are not many Barbadians playing cricket in the West Indies team”.
He went on to state that part of the difficulty with cricket was that “it is mostly now about money rather than Caribbean nation and Caribbean development”.
However, he said “CXC has been really in the frontline of keeping the region together, particularly for all those who participate in reaching high standards in matriculation to go on to higher levels of education.
“You should be very proud of yourselves having seen substantial change over time,” he told the gathering of CXC officials and staffers.
“We have seen an increase in the number of examinations to be written. In fact, you lead some of the examination councils of the world, so you should be exceedingly proud of that kind of achievement,” Jones added.
The Minister of Education however acknowledged that there would always be challenges when human beings were involved, while stressing that “we must rise above the challenges encountered”.
During today’s appreciation event, veterans Susan Giles and Hensley Hinkson, who are headed into retirement, were lauded for their contribution to the regional organization. Giles joined the organization in 1981 while Hinkson came on board with CXC in 1978.
Amril Gittens and Heather Herbert also received awards for 25 years of service to the institution, while Christopher Bannister, Andre Blair, Lisa Boyce, Adrian Gooding, Karene Holder, Dale Roachford and Dr Nordia Weekes were awarded for 15 years of service.
Just yesterday, Barbados TODAY reported on the appointment of Vice Chancellor designate of the University of the West Indies Professor Sir Hilary Beckles as the new Chairman of the Council to serve for the next three years.
Dr Marcia Potter, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education in the British Virgin Islands was elected as the new Deputy Chair.
The Council has also appointed Glenroy Cumberbatch as the new CXC Registrar, effective Monday, December 8, 2014.The appointments took place at the CXC’s 46th Meeting held last week at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.