CXC rolls out sweeping reforms

DESCRIBING IT AS ‘the beginning of the end of the old CXC’, chief executive officer of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr Wayne Wesley, yesterday announced an ambitious strategic repositioning of the regional body aimed at modernising its governance and re-imagining education delivery to better align with Caribbean development goals.

Speaking during a virtual press conference, he said the transformation was critical to making CXC “more agile, responsive and sustainable” in the face of rapidly changing global and regional educational needs.

“The CXC is transforming for greater relevance and sustainability. We are seeking to achieve organisational agility, operational flexibility and institutional capability so that we can better respond to unpredictable events and efficiently manage our resources,” Wesley said.

The repositioning strategy centres on three key components. The first is a modernisation of CXC’s governance system.

Wesley explained that this involves reviewing their Articles of Agreement to expand stakeholder representation and establish more robust accountability mechanisms. New board committees are also being introduced to enhance oversight and ensure adherence to policy mandates.

Expertise needed

“We are bringing in the kind of expertise needed to navigate the complexities of regional education and make sure our decisions are guided by sound governance principles,” he noted.

The second component focuses on redesigning the internal architecture of CXC to ensure its structure is fit for purpose. According to Wesley, the council is working toward greater operational flexibility so that it can respond effectively to the evolving demands of stakeholders and efficiently manage its resources.

This includes strengthening institutional capacity through improved training and development, more agile management systems and building resilience into CXC’s operational framework.

The third component – and perhaps the most transformative – is the reimagining of CXC’s approach to assessment and certification. This will involve a deliberate shift towards competency-based education, more flexible learning models and the integration of prior learning assessments.

“We are moving beyond the traditional model of education that places too much emphasis on content recall. Our focus is now on competencies, on what students can actually do with what they’ve learned,” Wesley said.

Begun changes

He explained that CXC has already begun to implement changes in English and mathematics through a process of modularisation. Each subject will now be broken into three independent modules, each of which can be assessed and certified separately.

“This change means that students no longer have to complete an entire syllabus all at once. If they have to exit the system for any reason, they can return later and pick up where they left off, which gives them a real second chance.”

The move is expected to have major implications for education equity across the region, especially for students in marginalised or vulnerable circumstances.

“This is about creating a more inclusive, studentfocused system that meets learners where they are and provides meaningful opportunities for progression,” Wesley said. (CLM)