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By Robert Andre Emmanuel
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The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has unveiled a new modular qualification system designed to address longstanding challenges in the regional education structure, including the number of students leaving school without certification.
During a press conference yesterday, CXC Registrar and CEO Dr Wayne Wesley announced the launch of the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC), a qualification that will allow students to earn certification in individual modules rather than requiring completion of entire subjects at once.
“This is the beginning of the end of the Caribbean Examinations Council as you know it, as we transform for greater regional impact,” Dr Wesley told regional media at the press conference.
The CTEC qualification maintains the same standards as current CSEC and CAPE examinations but breaks subjects into smaller, stackable modules that students can complete at their own pace.
Each module will be independently assessed, with successful completion leading to certification for that specific module.
Wesley emphasized that the new approach would not lower standards but will provide greater flexibility within the education system.
“It is not lowering the standard; it is the same level of CSEC and CAPE because CTEC will be at both levels. We’re using the same syllabuses, so we’re not changing the standard,” Wesley explained.
The new system recognizes differences in learning styles, learning rates, and content absorption capabilities among students.
Dr Wesley outlined three pathways that will be employed: the accelerated track for advanced students, the general track for typical students, and the flexible tracks with extended programme time for those requiring additional support.
A key advantage of the modular approach will be that students who exit the education system before completing all modules will still receive certification for their partial achievements, rather than leaving with nothing.
“How do we begin to address that particular concern? One of the responses is through the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate,” Wesley noted. “You can leave with something rather than this all-or-nothing situation.”
The first CTEC certifications will focus on English and Mathematics, with each subject divided into three modules. Students who complete all three modules in a subject will receive the full CSEC qualification equivalent.
Wesley gave the example of consumer arithmetic, which would be included in Mathematics Module One.
“If somebody somehow leaves school with Module One, they still have relevance to the job market, particularly if they have to work at a supermarket, because they understand pricing, simple interest, compound interest,” he said.
The system also allows for greater cross-disciplinary learning. For instance, engineering students could take a module in entrepreneurship without completing the entire business syllabus.
CXC will begin piloting the CTEC project in September 2025, with the first certificates to be awarded in 2026.
This initiative comes as regional stakeholders work to address concerning trends in education outcomes. Recent reports indicate that only 36 percent of students are passing mathematics in regional examinations, highlighting the urgent need for educational reforms.
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