Dear Editor,
In response to the decision of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to move forward with the sitting of the CAPE and CSEC examinations in July 2020, the Guyanese Youth Ambassadors Alumni 2019 executed a survey for students in all regions of the country, to share their views on writing examinations during this pandemic.
We would like to point out that the survey conducted is in no way a directive, nor is it a product of the US Embassy or the Caribbean Examinations Council. It is, rather, an initiative of the said Alumni.
A sample of two hundred and twenty-eight (228) students from thirty-six (36) schools participated in the survey; sixty-four percent (64%) consisted of CSEC candidates & thirty-six percent (36%) consisted of CAPE candidates.
These students represented nine of the 10 administrative regions of Guyana: one (1) student from Region One, eight (8) students from Region Two, fourteen (14) students from Region Three, one hundred (100) students from Region Four, twenty (20) students from Region Five, sixty-five (65) students from Region Six, eleven (11) students from Region Seven, one student (1) from Region nine, and eight (8) students from Region Ten.
Among the questions the students were asked was whether they were prepared to write their examinations in July 2020. Eighty-two percent (82%) responded with ‘no’.
The unpreparedness of the majority of students in the country was the first negative indication given. If most of the students are not prepared, then performance will not be at its best, and pass rates may drop.
Secondly, the students were asked whether they planned to write examinations in July 2020, and the most popular response was they’re unsure, which received forty-nine-point-one percent (49.1%) of the total responses.
Why do these students feel unprepared? Why are students unwilling to write examinations in July 2020? Our research revealed that the COVID-19 outbreak in Guyana, which resulted in the extended closure of schools, has a negative impact on the vast majority of students in a number of ways.
The leading cause of unpreparedness, as stated by thirty-five percent (35%) of the students, is their uncompleted syllabi. Despite the fact that teachers are trying their best to have online classes, these classes are not effective because of uncontrollable factors, such as power outages and poor or no internet connectivity.
Further, for many students, the home environment is not conducive for learning. This is so because of a number of reasons, mainly being they may not have the requisite textbooks, given that many would borrow from libraries. Also, there are many distractions in their homes, and those make it difficult for them to focus. Ten percent (10%) of the students also indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their mental health, as they are fearful that they and/or their family members might contract the virus,
resulting in their being unable to focus on their studies, and even less on their examinations at this point in time.
Another noteworthy cause for the unpreparedness of students is the difficult situations some families are facing relative to earning an income. Students have taken up the responsibility of helping their parents in a number of ways; for example, making masks to sell, or having to babysit younger siblings, or cooking and/or cleaning while their parents are trying to make ends meet.
Additionally, students are concerned about many other things associated with writing these examinations. There are two general concerns of the surveyed students: contracting the virus, and whether the examinations they write would be considered credible by universities and future employers.
Many students travel to and from school by public transportation, and this is an issue that is not being addressed. Students fear this increased risk of contracting the virus and thereafter unknowingly passing it on to their families.
Students, moreover, are unsure of the credibility of the examinations because of the absence of the ‘long paper’ (paper two), and fear that qualification obtained in this exam may be rejected by universities outside of the Caribbean and employers in the future after they would have risked their lives to write an examination that may not assist them in their future endeavours.
Taking into consideration a number of both external and internal factors, the 228 students surveyed made recommendations as to when CXC could administer examinations that would be most beneficial to the stakeholders who would be directly affected by them. From their responses, the most popular option, with 36% of the total, was that exams be administered in January 2021. The second option was that exams be held from the end of August through September 2020, which received the favour of 28.5% of students. Some 15.8% of respondents opted for total cancellation of these exams and replacing them with a predicted grading system, while 13.2% favoured the exams being administered in July 2020; and the remaining 6.6 gave no time period, but only recommended exams be carried out when it is declared safe to do so by the relevant authorities.
Further, the Kaieteur News published an article on June 4, 2020 under the caption “Amerindian Peoples Association worried about Indigenous, Hinterland students’ preparedness for exams”. This article sought to inform the Ministry of Education of the difficulties faced by students of the hinterland region, and their unpreparedness for the upcoming examinations.
The Amerindian Peoples’ Association stated in that article that “while the efforts to bridge the technological gap between the coast and the hinterland through the establishment of ICT hubs and e-government internet access is commendable, very few of those stations provide reliable internet to sustain e-learning.”
This article and many others, published recently by students and even adults, all strengthen the united voice of the students of Guyana in declaring that the pandemic has, and continues to have, numerous negative effects on them, and these effects need to be comprehensively considered before making decisions that directly affect these students.
To conclude, since students are the future of our country, it is important that students’ voices are heard, and their opinions as well as their mental and physical health be taken into consideration. Students have real concerns and serious challenges to overcome; wouldn’t consulting them on a matter that directly affects their future be the best option?
Youth Ambassadors
Alumni 2019 – Guyana
