Singjay SSG Lyrical hopes the written paper section will always form part of the Caribbean Secondary Education C ertificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

“Two years back, examinations for subjects including CSEC English A did not include a written paper. This was due to teachers’ complaints of the lack of preparation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

The year 2020 saw protests throughout the Caribbean, with most schools calling for an urgent investigation into final grades which were not on par with the schools’ performance throughout the years. This ended after the grades which showed failures were adjusted to meet the expectations of most schools.

SSG Lyrical asserts that examinations, especially those at the CSEC and CAPE levels, must include a written paper.

“As a nation, our appetite for reading is far from commendable. The drawbacks can be seen in the worrying English passes for several years. Questions regarding essays and short stories require the skills of interpreting the questions, organising material and presenting these in a clear and precise format,” he said.

“This is the way forward in preparing students for the world of work as they will now have to communicate with people at all levels in society, in addition to making quick decisions in solving problems,” he continued.

According to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), this year’s English A examination will include a written paper. The questions in Paper 2 include short stories and essay questions. Candidates must choose one question, approximately 400 to 500 words in length, and written in standard English.

SSG Lyrical’s latest project is titled Zone. It was released on the DreamX Production imprint on February 10, 2022.

The singjay, whose given name is Shavon Galloway, said: “The song is one which is advising others to keep out of trouble, a theme which should help especially the younger generation, who oftentimes act before they think.”

Born in Montego Bay, SSG Lyrical attended Montego Bay Community College in St James, where he obtained an associate degree in agricultural science.

He produced his first song, Tease Me, in 2018 on the IMP Records label.

He has performed on the JCDC Independence Show in MoBay (2017), and the Montego Bay Jerk Festival the following year.

His biggest project to date is an eight-track EP tited Hot Signal.