CXC: The board made a hasty decision

In our region, there is an emerging phenomenon whereby some institutions and councils take hasty decisions without the involvement and proper consultation of the countries that sustain them.

By reckless I mean fast, sudden, rash, careless, unwise, and without regard for what might happen.

First, the Caribbean Development Bank has decided to place its president, Dr. Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon, on administrative leave.

Now, the Caribbean Development Bank is a multinational organization, which means that it is an institution involving different countries in the Caribbean region.

But what is even more disturbing is that the reasons behind CDB’s decision to place Dr. Leon on leave have not been disclosed.

In fact, it is a great disrespect to Dr. Leon and Saint Lucia as a participating country.

Now, we must remember that a Saint Lucian, Sir Arthur Lewis, was the first President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Dr. Leon is carrying on the legacy of his fellow Saint Lucian, Sir Arthur Lewis.

Dr. Hyginus Leon has since tendered his resignation to the Caribbean Development Bank.

In fact, I have not heard or read that the CDB has had any problems with the performance of Dr. Hyginus Leon. Nor has the Saint Lucia Government received any such information.

It is fair to say, therefore, that the decision to place Dr Leon on leave was arbitrary.

Indeed, now we come to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is the examinations board for the Caribbean. The CXC was established in 1972 by agreement between the governments of the member countries of the Caribbean Community (including Saint Lucia).

CXC is the examination body that provides examination certification to 16 English-speaking Caribbean countries and regions, and has replaced the General Certificate Examination (GCE) used by the United Kingdom and some other Caribbean member states.

Currently, the current President of the Caribbean Examinations Council is Professor Hillilee Beckles. Professor Beckles was re-elected by the Council at its meeting held in Guyana on December 8, 2023. Professor Beckles will serve for a three-year term, from 2024 to 2026.

Incidentally, Professor Hazel Simmons-Mc. Donald of St. Lucia is the Chairperson of the Caribbean Examinations Council’s Examination Committee. Professor Mc. Donald is no stranger to higher education, having taught at the then “A-Level” colleges in the early 1970s.

Now, Professor Beckles is an experienced historian. He knows Caribbean history very well. Sometime after his re-election in December 2023, he addressed a special meeting of the Caribbean Examinations Council.

In fact, he told the audience, the Caribbean Examinations Council came into being in the context of divisions within our region in the 1970s. Whatever that means! He insisted that at the time, our region was still attached to colonial “scaffolding.” Quite simply, a scaffold is a structure used to reach the top. Scaffolding is commonly used in building construction. Professor Beckles went on to say that the “colonial spirit” had impeded the progressive trajectory the region wanted to take in the field of education.

Now considering the current of thought that Professor Beckles advocated, what has the Caribbean Examinations Council done during his presidency? The Council has suspended the following subjects: Green Engineering, Agricultural Sciences; Double Degrees; Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The main reason for the suspension is the low enrolment rates in the above subjects; meaning that few students take them.

So where exactly does the Caribbean want to go? Let’s take agriculture as an example. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is an agency of the United Nations whose main goal is to “end hunger and improve nutrition and living standards by increasing agricultural productivity.” The FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all, ensuring that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

Now, as a classroom teacher, I have trained and taught Agricultural Science for over twenty years. I taught this subject at a time when it was not given enough attention, even though agriculture is a major industry in Saint Lucia.

In fact, one of my students was Ezechiel Joseph, former Minister of Agriculture of Saint Lucia. He was very interested in agriculture and took copious notes. He did not wait for me to summarize the lecture on the blackboard. As soon as I spoke, he took notes. I saw a bright future for Ezechiel in the field of agriculture. Ezechiel Joseph went to study agriculture at the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST) in Jamaica. I did not keep a record of his education. But I know that he returned to Saint Lucia and later became the Minister of Education. He did an amazing job!

The construction industry is currently booming in Saint Lucia and across the Caribbean, and mechanical and electrical engineering is vital to the development of our country and to providing jobs for our people.

Indeed, a very important question facing the Caribbean Examinations Council is what has the institution done to promote the subjects it has suspended or whether the institution has investigated the reasons for the low enrolment in the subjects it has suspended.

Finally, I would like to say that Caribbean governments need to put a stop to the reckless behavior of Caribbean institutions under their jurisdiction.