EXAMS: DROP IN STUDENTS RECEIVING A TO C GRADES – Minister says BGCSE results show ‘much work to do at all levels of the system’

Ministry of Education officials at yesterday’s press conference about the BGCSE exam results. (Photo: Moise Amisial)

As of Thursday, August 31, 2023

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

Lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE number of students who achieved A, B and C grades in BGCSE exams this year dropped compared to 2022, with more students receiving D, E, F an G grades.

Although significantly more students sat the exam as the country moves further from the pandemic, the percentage of grades awarded C or higher this year was lower than in the previous two years, according to statistics the Ministry of Education released yesterday at a press conference.

Overall, 16,326 students took national exams this year.

Five thousand three hundred ninety-three candidates took the BGCSE exams this year, representing 100 government, private and independent centres – an increase of 9.93 per cent compared to last year.

Five hundred forty-four candidates received a grade of C or higher in five or more subjects — 10.09 per cent of all who sat the exam. This represents a 14.06 per cent decrease compared to last year when 633 candidates achieved that goal. Five hundred and fifty candidates did so in 2021.

The number of students who received a minimum grade of D in at least five subjects declined by 5.36 per cent.

The number of students who received at least a C or better in mathematics, language arts and science fell by 2.37 per cent.

Three hundred and three students received at least a C in mathematics, 5.62 per cent of all candidates. In 2022, 392 candidates received the same, 7.99 per cent of all candidates.

The drop in A to C grades and increase in D to G grades is concerning and calls for improvements at all levels of the education system, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said.

“The examination results show, as they have revealed in successive years, that we still have much work to do at all levels of the system,” she said.

“The concerns demonstrated in these results are the product of the results over the years and are the result of long-standing deficiencies in our educational system, which are now compounded by the impact of learning loss on students in The Bahamas and all over the world as a result of the prolonged shutdowns in the height of COVID 19 pandemic.

“We have therefore determined that the foundational work is a priority throughout the educational system and must be reinforced at every level of the school experience. We do not wish to be caught in the trap of social promotion. To advance this agenda, it is necessary that all hands are on deck as we move forward in this school year.”

Ministry of Education officials said that of the 27 BGCSE subjects tested, there were improved performances in eight: Art and Design C, Auto Mechanics, Biology, Bookkeeping and Accounts, Combined Science, Electrical Installation, Food and Nutrition, and French.

Director of Education Dominique Russell noted that more than 80 per cent of the grades awarded continue to range from A-E, with fewer U grades.

Girls continued to outperform boys in the national exams, “receiving higher percentages of A to C and lower percentages at D to U,” according to Mrs Russell.

“Most notable, their performance at A increased significantly and dropped at U significantly,” she said. “The increases, decreases and no changes in performances for both males and females are the exact replica of BJC. This pattern may have significant implications about the continued effects of the COVID 19 pandemic.”

Meanwhile, performances on the Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) tests improved this year, with more grades at D and above.

Mrs Russell noted that grades in seven of the 13 subjects this year improved: English Language, Religious Studies, Literature, General Science, Art, Craft Study and French.

The number of BJC students receiving a grade of C or higher in five or more subjects increased by 4.11 per cent compared to last year.

The number of BJC students achieving a minimum grade of D in at least five subjects increased by 5.19 per cent.

Overall, 10,933 people sat the BJC exam, a 14.23 per cent increase from 2022. The total number of BJC grades awarded this year increased by 12.85 per cent.

K4C 8 months ago

with more students receiving D, E, F an G grades says the education system has FAILED

themessenger 8 months ago

Only 10% of five thousand plus students graduating with a C or above average, a permanent police presence in the schools, yes I think you could make a case that the government educational system has utterly failed. As these students are the future of the country moving forward, I think that a firm case could be made that we are well on the way to becoming a failed state.

bahamianson 8 months ago

At the beginning, you have a male and female coming together . Are the two responsible enough to raise a child in the way that he or she should go? There is the problem that social services must address. Teens having children does not do the society any favours. We need responsible adults to have children. Guys drop a child in every community leaving the female to pick up the pieces. There are a number of stories where a mother relies on the eldest 6th child to bring home the bacon, only to see him shot in the streets. This needs to be addressed on many levels. Any individual wanting to have a child must take parenting class. The government needs to provide the classes and make them mandatory! Otherwise , we will continue to spin. Let us continue this same yearly conversation in the next 10 years, like all the other problems we continue to talk about.

zemilou 8 months ago

For decades it has been clear that the current state of public education requires substantial reform.

Even in Great Britain, the origin of our educational framework, it is widely acknowledged that the GCSE approach is failing to meet the needs of the majority of students. This realization is shared by various public and private entities, including Pearson Education, the world's second-largest textbook publisher.

For example, according to a 2021 report titled "Pearson’s Analysis of the Future of Qualifications & Assessment in England," which "surveyed over 6,000 stakeholders from across the education spectrum," the following key points were highlighted:

"[A] good system [of education] must equip individuals with the tools they need to thrive, facilitating access to work and engaging in life beyond school. It should be progressive, promote choice, and contain a broad and inclusive curriculum that exposes students to a variety of experiences to support their development of knowledge and skills. It should be a system where attributing failure is never a consequence of recognising achievement, and should optimise technology in doing so."

"[T]he current system is too restrictive, with too many rules specifying how qualifications and assessment need to be structured to be recognised by funding and performance measures. This has squeezed out the appetite for innovation, preventing the system from keeping pace with the modern, evolving world."

We don't need to -- and we can't -- replicate educational models from other countries such as Singapore or Finland, no matter how successful they might be. The current system shows that this approach isn't effective for the vast majority of our students. The Bahamas possesses abundant talent to design a system tailored to its needs. Also, finger pointing that assigns blame to either students, or teachers, or parents, or the Ministry of Education -- or any combination of the four -- counterproductive and unhelpful.

Much like in public education systems globally, reform is imperative for The Bahamas to provide better education for our children -- for their sake and to help ensure a viable long-term future for our country. Successive administrations have recognized the necessity for reform, but addressing it requires tangible actions, not rhetoric and platitudes.

Sickened 8 months ago

You are correct. Unfortunately, our ignorant, lazy and not so bright leaders are not willing or capable to revamp our education system. They know it's broke but they don't know how to fix it.

JackArawak 8 months ago

"G" grades? man a lot has changed since I was in school. Anyone else remember LOP's "Bahamianization" exercise? I clearly remember the British school teachers suddenly being replaced by Bahamians, and it's been a steady decline since then

ohdrap4 8 months ago

they created all these grades, however, the most common given grade, a fact that is hidden by the MOE is U. YEP not sufficient correct answers o be given a grade.

Especially males, most get U in math.

mandela 8 months ago

Women advocates had better get on board to help the countries young failing men, because no matter how much achievement the ladies make they will have to deal with the wrath of uneducated young men who will wreck havoc on all of society, a contry can never survive with a dumb, broken, uneducated society of men, no matter how smart the women are.

B_I_D___ 8 months ago

Keep them dumb and uneducated...makes it easier to baffle them with the bullship come election time

LastManStanding 8 months ago

Intelligence is passed down through genetics, and while it's true that the Bahamian educational system is a garbage dumpster on fire, the truth is that a lot of these students were not born bright in the first place. Difference between now and 100 years ago is that we are trying to force everyone to become a "college product" when, quite frankly, that is not the optimal path for a lot of people here. There is nothing wrong with trying to encourage those who struggle academically to find a trade, you will make a lot more than most white collar workers if 1.) you are very good at your work and 2.) you can have basic professionalism ie. showing up to projects on time.

zemilou 8 months ago

Indeed, students -- and parents, employers and the country as a whole -- are desperate for an educational system that meets their needs.

All must learn how to become functionally literate in the three Rs. That is, they must be equipped to, say, read and understand the equivalent of a story in this publication and, if they so choose, write a letter to the editor. Also, they must be able to understand and complete a job application — or an application to an institution of higher learning, whether it be a technical institution or college/university. Related to this, they must understand how to prepare for and participate in job interviews. They must have basic financial literacy skills, especially to understand the power of interest and loan and credit card documents that could cripple them with debt.

All must graduate from high school with skills that allow for meaningful options: further education or the skilled job market or both.

All must learn how to think. To problem solve. To understand the importance of why, how, and so what, not simply who, what, when and where.

Bobsyeruncle 8 months ago

I think the genetic correlation is only partially true. Some of the smartest students (Asian/Indian) come from families where the parents are just simple land workers, who have never had a formal education. I'm inclined to believe that family ethics & dynamics at an early age are a more important factor.

So many of these Bahamian kids come from broken homes at a very early age, where they are lucky if they have a parent at home to help them. When we are young our role models and reference group are typically our parents, and, whether or not we mean to, we tend to pick up their good/bad traits which in turn tends to shape us into what type of person we are going to be. Now,when we get into our teens/early adult age, our reference group tends to shift from our parents to our similarly aged peers, as we strive to be independant. During these times things may go a little bit awry and 'trouble' finds its way into your life, but as long as you've had that stable & grounded family life at an early age, the individual tends to get back on track pretty soon.

The_Oracle 8 months ago

Young men in the workplace are angry if they have a female supervisor or boss. Another Woman telling them what to do, like their mothers. Put them under a male supervisor they get seriously angry, having never had a man (father) telling them what to do. A recipe that's been cooking this disaster for 50 years. As a society we beat the initiative out of them as children but complain when they grow up to be violent and angry at the world? Mothers leading by example with multiple children by multiple men who cannot be found, taught everything by teachers who apparently cannot teach. A sad societal indictment.

jamaicaproud 7 months, 4 weeks ago

You all need some cross pollinization. Why not join CXC like other Caribbean countries,. In most other English speaking countries passes have gone up. Caribbean people need to wise up and share resources, teachers, research etc.

Isolation is death

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