St Vincent and the Grenadines will host this year’s annual governance meetings of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). The two major meetings: the meeting of the School Examinations Committee (SEC) and the meeting of Council will be held at the National Insurance Services (NIS) Conference Room on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 December respectively, under the Chairmanship of Professor Sir Hilary Beckles.
On the night of Thursday 6 December, the official Opening of Council and the presentation of awards for outstanding performance in the May/June examinations will take place at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingstown.
Awards will be presented for outstanding performances in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC). This year’s awardees will come from Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, is expected to deliver the feature address, while Minister of Education, National Reconciliation and Information, Hon. St Clair Prince, will deliver remarks. Sir Hilary Beckles, CXC Chairman; and Mr Glenroy Cumberbatch, CXC Registrar will also give brief addresses.
On Wednesday 5 December, a CXC team will meet with principals of secondary and primary schools at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. This meeting is part of CXC’s stakeholder engagement programme and gives stakeholders in the host country the opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns and express their opinion directly with CXC officials.
Prior to the governance meetings, a delegation comprising CXC officials and the 15 awardees will pay courtesy calls on Acting Prime Minister, Hon. Montgomery Daniel and Education Minister, Hon. St Clair Prince; as well as Dr. Godwin Friday, Opposition Leader.
The Regional Top Awardees will have opportunities to interact with students from St Vincent and the Grenadines when they make a trip to the Grenadine island of Bequia on Monday 3 December, and on Thursday 6 December when they will be guests of honour at a brunch hosted by the Ministry of Education for secondary school students.
According to CXC’s Registrar, Mr Glenroy Cumberbatch, “The Regional Top Awards Programme gives the students a great opportunity to experience regional integration at its best…while they are in the host country, the programme allows them not only to meet dignitaries, but also enables them to interact with fellow students. They form life-long friendships as a result and get a better appreciation of how similar we all are.”
St Vincent and the Grenadines last hosted CXC governance meetings in 2006.