The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has reported a concerning decline in pass rates for Mathematics and English in the May/June 2024 exams across the region with more than 10 000 students failing to make even the grade in literacy and numeracy.
The results, revealed at a ceremony held at the Dominica State House on Tuesday, showed that overall pass rates dropped from 78 per cent last year to 76 per cent this year. The performance in Mathematics was particularly alarming, with the pass rate falling from 48 per cent to just 36 per cent year on year.
While there was a slight increase in the number of top-grade passes in Mathematics, the Director of CXC’s Examination Services Division, Dr Nicole Manning, described the subject area as a “sore point”.
The decline was not limited to Mathematics and English, with several other subject areas also recording poorer results, including Chemistry, French, Information technology, Integrated science, Principles of Accounts, and Spanish.
Registrar and CEO of CXC Dr Wayne Wesley, expressed concern over the drop in performance in these “fundamental subject areas”, stressing the importance of Mathematics and English as the foundation for further learning and achievement.
“These two subjects are the foundation on which anything else can be acquired or learned or achieved. So we need to give greater emphasis there,” Wesley said.
CXC data over the past five years has revealed that an average of 11 500 students annually fail to meet the basic requirement of passing both Mathematics and English. This, according to Dr Wesley, is significantly affecting their future academic and employment opportunities, as well as the region’s economic competitiveness.
“What that tells us, is that from 2018 to now, every year we have been losing almost 11 500 students on average who will not fully matriculate into university; be underemployed because employers are going to pay you less; require rework; students who will not realise their full potential,” he said.
“And most importantly, it is having a negative effect on the economic competitiveness of the region because you are having less students being able to drive the innovation that is required for the economy to advance and for critical thinking and problem-solving attitudes to be developed.”
In response to these challenges, CXC has initiated a new project to develop literacy and numeracy standards, incorporating artificial intelligence to create targeted interventions. The aim is to leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance teaching and learning processes and address the performance gap.
“Our data supports the fact that our students are aware of the new digital paradigm as evidenced by the growing rate of passions in digital subjects. We know that these results can be far greater if we find a way to successfully engage our students to excel in Mathematics and English,” the CXC leader said.
Dr Wesley emphasised the need for a collective effort from all stakeholders in the education system, including parents, teachers, and relevant institutions, to improve outcomes in these core subjects, while also maintaining a balanced approach to ensure students excel in all areas.
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