KINGSTON, Jamaica— Jamaica’s youth leaders say the concerns of the majority of the national secondary student population were not taken into consideration when the decision was made to have students sit the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) examinations in July. 

Speaking during a recent digital meeting with Minister of State in the Ministry of Education Youth and Information (MOEYI), Alando Terrelonge, youth leaders again expressed their disapproval about not being consulted in the decision making process.   

Jadon Hewitt and Kubi Walters, representing the National Secondary Students Council (NSSC) and Jamaica Prefects’ Association (JPA) respectively, said most students were not prepared to take the exams as respective syllabi remained incomplete in some schools across the island. 

The student leaders also said they disagreed with the position taken by principals that students and teachers were 90-95 per cent ready for the exams. 

They noted that during the lockdown and online learning scenario, “teachers and academic resources were hardly accessible, due to a number of reasons, internet connectivity chief among them.” 

“Your best interest will always be safeguarded as a priority, and this extends not just to your physical health and wellbeing, but also your mental health. The Government will never allow you to sit exams in situations where you are put at risk of infection. We are thinking about the full logistics – this includes sanitisation centres at schools, tanks where needed for adequate water supply, temperature checks for students and teachers, health protocols for students with special requirements in terms of illness or disability, protocols in the event someone gets ill…. It is all being thought through,” Terrelonge told the group during their virtual meeting. 

He also commended them for their advocacy and for highlighting issues such as the potential problems facing students who board, private candidates, and schools plagued with water issues. 

“Notwithstanding the views of your principals and the Caribbean Examination Council, I have taken your concerns and objections on board. My contention has always been that the quality of your education should never be compromised because of situations out of your control. I will continue my discussions with our Permanent Secretary and Chief Education Officer, who sit on the CXC board, to advocate that the marking of your exam papers exclude material on respective syllabi that students feel was not adequately delivered due to the shutdown and resort to online learning,” Terrelonge added.