Guyana CSEC mathematics pass rate climbs as schools record major gains – Chief Education Officer

As the 2026 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) and Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) preliminary results were announced on Tuesday, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain reported an improvement in Guyana’s Mathematics pass rate, with several schools recording significant gains. The achievement was also hailed by Education Minister, Sonia Parag as a major step forward, particularly as mathematics continues to be one of the most challenging subjects for students in Guyana and across the Caribbean.
Guyana’s CSEC Mathematics pass rate increased from 32 per cent in 2025 to 34.5 per cent in 2026. Hussain announced the improvement during the release of the preliminary 2026 examination results. According to Hussain, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has begun the modularisation of subjects through the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC), breaking traditional CSEC and CAPE subjects into smaller, manageable modules. Against this backdrop, the mathematics syllabus was divided into three parts under a pilot programme introduced in several schools. Hussain said several schools recorded significant improvements under the modularisation pilot, with pass rates reaching as high as 90 per cent. “I am very pleased, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, to say to us that in 2026, Mathematics has increased by 2.5 per cent.”

Positive results
He explained that CXC’s modularisation approach has already begun producing positive results. Hussain also highlighted several schools that recorded notable improvements in their Mathematics performance. “I want to address the pass rate of 32 per cent in 2025 to 34.5 per cent in 2026. And I want to highlight some of the schools that have done so fantastically well.” Belladrum Secondary moved from zero passes to 81.49 per cent, while Fort Wellington Secondary improved from 5 per cent to 82.15 per cent. Novar Secondary, Shivita Business College and Queen’s College all secured 100 per cent passes.
Bartica Secondary recorded a 57-percentage-point increase, while Rosignol Secondary improved by 35 percentage points, Leguan Secondary by 28 points and Cummings Lodge Secondary by 25 points. South Ruimveldt also improved from eight per cent to 60 per cent. Hussain credited initiatives such as the Mathematics Tents, virtual teaching and the Digital School platform for contributing to the improvements. Seventeen virtual classes connected experienced teachers with students across the country, including those in hinterland and riverine communities.

Direct interventions
Meanwhile, Education Minister Sonia Parag said the results were a direct reflection of the various interventions undertaken by the Ministry to improve Mathematics education. “Generally, performance, I am particularly pleased with the improvement we have seen this year in Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. It tells us that the interventions that we are making are beginning to bear fruit, all of which are a deliberate effort to improve performance.” The improvement comes against the backdrop of longstanding concerns over Guyana’s Mathematics performance.

Comprehensive strategy
Following a 34 per cent pass rate in Mathematics in the 2023 CSEC examinations, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the Government would embark on a comprehensive strategy to improve performance in the subject. “Because of our concern about our performance in Mathematics, I had some initial conversations with the Education Minister and I’m of the view that perhaps we need to, in a very targeted manner, create additional hours for Mathematics in the secondary school system, especially at the exam level — additional compulsory hours,” Ali said in 2023. He added that efforts would also be made to explore available Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that could be incorporated into the school curriculum to deliver better learning outcomes. “Because we cannot continue with the existing pass rates in Mathematics. It is unacceptable, and we must change it, and we will change it,” Ali said. Currently, the Ministry of Education operates a national Mathematics Intervention Programme targeting Grades 10 and 11, aimed at improving students’ performance in regional examinations. The multi-tiered initiative includes extended morning instruction, free learning tools such as scientific calculators and past papers, specialised external instructors and broadcast lessons through the Guyana Learning Channel.