Competence-based content should replace “pressuring” syllabus – CXC Registrar

…2021-2025 strategic plan to transform education

The packed content entwined in assessment syllabuses for the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) should be replaced with an approach which prepares students to adopt competencies to function in society.

This has been the position shared by Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the CXC, Dr Wayne Wesley, on Thursday as he presented, during the release of CAPE and CSEC results, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
It has been highlighted that the current makeup presents a pressuring environment and ‘information overload’ for students to prepare for these examinations.
“I don’t know why we can’t have a curriculum that allows students to complete what they need to know in the four years the Ministry of Education would have established for students to learn. We have an attitude now for a lot of extra lessons. We are pressuring the students, giving them an information overload, and when they’re stressed out, we wonder what is happening,” Dr Wesley highlighted.
He suggested that a balanced approach be implemented by reimaging and rethinking education assessment – a move which CXC is formulating. This is especially since some of the materials used have little application to the present setting. As such, he said the CXC must keep abreast with the changes unfolding.
“We need to find an approach that creates an appropriate balance, that allows students to demonstrate the critical competencies required to function in society and help them to apply to any content, rather than focusing on the syllabus content…In this regard, the current thinking around the development of examination is to have a greater focus on the appropriate balance between critical competences and content coverage.
“With the rapid expansion in information and communication technologies, access to content and a wider range of information is more attainable. Consequently, the emerging approach is to consider the critical competencies required for individuals to function effectively in society,” he said.
Dr Wesley pointed out that operations for the past two years were impacted with COVID-19, which he said paints the need for greater resilience, and responsive mechanisms in the future.
The Registrar detailed, “Over the last two years, the capability and capacity of all non-native systems were, and continue to be, tested, revealing the inadequacies and vulnerabilities within the regional education system. Therefore, the imperative for member states is the development of a greater level resilience in the education sector. This, the very least, requires a robust and sustainable transformation of our development infrastructure and operational systems to become responsive and agile.”
Across the Caribbean, the regional official pointed towards not just building back stronger, but identifying weaknesses in the failed system, and building back sustainably.
“While the emerging narrative is to build back stronger, I dare to say at this point that it is more than building back stronger; it is building back sustainably. To build back better or stronger suggests rebuilding the same structure and systems that would have failed to cope with the challenges of the global pandemic. Therefore, the approach to the rebuilding efforts is to build back sustainably through innovative transformation,” he said.
CXC is embarking on a five-year plan to position the body as a digitally transformed enterprise that can withstand any force. The strategic plan would present a structured system to map transformation using artificial intelligence and digitised systems. He said the Council must no longer operate in a vacuum.
“The Caribbean Examination Council is by no means immune to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of this, CXC is now implementing a new five-year strategic plan for the period 2021 to 2025. The vision is to create a digitally-transformed enterprise providing quality, relevant, and globally-recognised educational services,” the official outlined.
Guyana has been lauded for its efforts thus far, especially in the inclusive decision-making framework and incorporation of critical stakeholders. He added that the structure will undertake new methods to integrate children better into society when they leave the school system.
“We would worry about ensuring that students demonstrate the requisite competence to perform in society. Within the regional construct, the transformational processes of teaching, learning and assessment have emerged a common platform for regional discourse in terms of cooperation, collaboration, and the preservation of standards.” (G12)