By Theresa Goodwin
The Member of Parliament for Barbuda is expressing a high level of confidence in the abilities of students at the Sir McChesney George Secondary School who sat the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) administered by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC).
This is amid mounting criticism from some quarters that a number of students on Barbuda failed to secure passes in key subject areas.
Trevor Walker addressed the matter on Tuesday, indicating that the students did well despite trying circumstances.
Those extenuating circumstances include the lack of adequate facilities to sit the exams, due to the fact that Barbuda is still recovering from the adverse effects of Hurricane Irma which destroyed all educational facilities on the island.
Furthermore, there was the absence of educators, most of whom were yet to relocate to Barbuda prior to the administration of the exam.
“It took a lot for us to re-establish any sort of formal education back on the island, and they must understand that in 2018 Sir McChesney George only got 33 percent passes in CSEC while sitting the exams in Antigua.
“In 2019 it is 43 percent, so there is a 10 percent increase in the passes. They were four teachers short this year, which the ministry did not provide for. The principal of the school also had to fight to return to the island, and the Ministry of Education did not pay him for two months,” Walker said.
The MP also noted that, despite all of this, the students did well and they should be commended for their efforts.
‘I don’t know whether Barbuda is totally neglected, or people do not care about us, or it is just when something bad happens it pops up in the news. It is just unfortunate,” Walker concluded.