CXC to consider petition for maths resit

The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) is to consider a petition calling for all students to re-sit the 2019 CSEC Maths exams following serious breaches of the examination regulations, a representative from the Barbados-based institution has said.

“All of the queries regarding such were [reported] to the head of the department and it’s being worked on. The queries have not fallen on deaf ears so everyone will be notified of a decision in due course,” the representative told OBSERVER ONLINE a short while ago.

It is unclear who launched the petition that has so far gained 5,085 signatures — more than 60 per cent of the 7,500 signatures required.

Last week, CXC announced that it was investigating a breach in examination security in Trinidad and Tobago, where students were said to have used mobile phones and textbooks during the exam.

“It would be unfair if these students are allowed a free pass, and equally unfair if only selected schools/students are allowed to resit a supplementary exam. The extent to which exams could have been scanned and shared, not only nationally, but regionally is unfathomable.

“Students could have been privy to the exam questions earlier than the start time and they could have sent these images on social media to their counterparts in other schools across the country and region. The invigilator also could have further compromised the situation by sharing the exam with other invigilators.

“Given the conditions and circumstances, it is only fair and just that all students in the entire region resit a supplementary mathematics exam which should be done before the end of the exam period, June 6th, 2019,” a summary of the petition read.