Dear Editor,

It must now be abundantly clear to everyone that the first shackle of colonialism, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), must be defrocked.

A clear divide exists between the grading system of schools and the callous disconnected “digital” eye of the CXC. Even teachers are failed for not marking the way the computer dictates. There is negative remuneration for markers, no support for technology, and repeated requests for support protective eyewear to mark via the screen, go unanswered.

The CXC is clearly serving its own agenda with its high-powered computer set-up that has lost its interest in serving the Caribbean. The examination scripts of students are lost in the cyber prisons of the United States and United Kingdom. The parents and sponsors are pouring out their life savings to feed the offers of colonialists. The papers are no longer tabled-marked by teachers. These educators have sacrificed long hours to help refine the CXC’s products, but they have been for some time now, rubbished and discarded.

The Ministry of Education in Jamaica, even at its worst and “pop-down” state, is far more qualified to shape an exit exam from high school for Jamaica. If indeed Jamaica’s examination cohort is 50 per cent of the CXC market, those resources need to be immediately deployed to our shores. A final-year examination for school-leavers should then reflect achievements over the five-year school programme and the progress; reflecting the true expertise of the Jamaican teacher.

If Jamaican designs are employed in so many areas to achieve international success, why not the education of our design own? Despite missteps with common entrance, Grade Six Achievement Tests (GSAT), and Primary Exit Profile (PEP), the global acclaim of a certificate stamped by the Government of Jamaica’s Ministry of Education is more than worth its weight in gold.

In this time of critical crisis, when the borders of the world and many Caribbean countries are closed, it is the moment for Jamaican independence of thought and governance. Mek wi do it fi wiself!

‘ightingupahstarm

writingupastorm@yahoo.com