BVI News

It’s official! CAPE removed from local secondary schools, now only at HLSCC

Subjects at the CAPE level will now only be pursued at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College.

The decision to remove the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) from the secondary schools’ curriculum has been finalised.

Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley said CAPE will now only be pursued at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC).

“CAPE is being removed because it is more appropriately offered on the tertiary level, which happens throughout the Caribbean and the UK,” he said after giving remarks at Elmore Stoutt High School’s 2019 Graduation ceremony on Thursday.

He added: “A degree from HLSCC will allow students to matriculate to tertiary institutions in the UK, US and at the University of the West Indies (UWI).”

The Minister also said that a number of other decisions are to be made in the not-too-distant future to further improve the current education system.

“In the coming weeks, I will be making a decision on the additional year of secondary school which was recently implemented. And in short order, the ministry will be conducting a comprehensive review pre-primary, primary, secondary, technical and vocational education,” Dr Wheatley stated.

The former educator added: “We will be evaluating the Education Act, our policies, our school administration, the quality of our facilities, of our teachers, of our curriculum, our support to students with special needs, along with many other things.”

Minister Wheatley further said that the graduation requirements will also be placed under review. Things to be reviewed will include the exit proficiency exam, the community service programme, and the courses needed to satisfy the credit hours.

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31 Comments

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  1. vip heckler says:

    Do you call this moving from good to great or moving the goal post closer in ???

    Like 20
    Dislike 7
  2. That’s Life says:

    One man build up, another man break down.

    Like 26
    Dislike 7
  3. true says:

    This is the right decision , this exam which was the reason for the extra year is only for students wishing to pursue University placements and of no value to students who wish to join the workforce.

    I hope to see the end to the extra year as this can be completed at HLSCC if wanted and needed.

    Like 18
    Dislike 20
  4. Good news says:

    CAPE and hence a 6th year was always optional for other Caribbean islands. CAPE also is done over a 2 year period and not 1. The previous system wasn’t broke and SO I don’t know why they added the extra year. It was foolish to add it just because children were coming out before being 17 years old.

    Like 21
    Dislike 16
    • @good news says:

      I work in the HR field and truth be told, most of our children are coming out of school ill prepared for the work environment. What harm are you causing by allowing them to do one more year and come out at 17? Coming out at age 16 may have worked in the past when a HS certificate was the norm but things have advanced since then and a first degree is now the norm. Most persons today are even pursuing up to a masters just to keep their existing jobs.
      The bar has risen and it is unfortunate that we are still thinking 20th century with our children’s education.

      I know parents want to see their children graduate and move on in life but we need to give them the best foundation to do that. Besides, it is free.

      Like 7
      Dislike 1
      • @@good news says:

        Truth be told the extra year is not preparing the students for the work environment; only the right start program. What they need to do is include an Introduction to career planning course to help students prepare for the workforce and even include customer service training or even offer technical vocational program courses similar to what the college use to offer students for 1 year.

  5. Lilly says:

    In today’s society, all students need to pursue university placement and head on to college. While I understand that we cannot force people to go to university, I really hope that this is the right thing and not just to undo what the previous administration did, be it good or bad. This is the very thing that is now ruining the U.S.A. because one president is undoing everything the previous president did without real consideration to the consequences.

    Like 23
    Dislike 8
  6. Dejavu says:

    This reminds me of the VIP of 2007-2011. The NDP Government did some good things and they tore them all down, only for us to have to go back to NDP to rebuild them. NDP had their flaws but it is scary looking on at how the VIP are just doing things without conducting proper reviews before making such serious decisions.

    Like 38
    Dislike 10
    • Educator/Parent says:

      When did the NDP conduct proper reviews? Education suffered in many ways under the previous minister . I support the current minister 100%. He is trying to create a system that works for as many students as possible. Much of the 6th year was wasted time for a number of students.

      I connend the minister for his effort and look forward to being a part of the comprehensive review of education.

      Like 7
      Dislike 18
  7. Shameful says:

    I am so ashamed of the VIP

    Like 34
    Dislike 14
  8. vip heckler says:

    JUST LIKE TRUMP CHANGING EVERYTHING OBAMA DID

    Like 28
    Dislike 7
  9. Past BFEC Student says:

    I don’t see why people making so much noise. CAPE was only given to ESHS students. I have never heard of no other school been given the CAPE examination. BFEC was NEVER given that examination. In other countries the 6th grade is optional for students but here they making it Mandatory that all students must do the extra year and I personally think it’s unfair to the students that don’t need it
    All the extra year did was stretch the syllabus from 2 years to 3 years and added an extra class nothing less nothing more
    Make the extra year optional not mandatory !!!

    Like 13
    Dislike 8
    • Educator says:

      That’s because there is a particular academic level that you must reach to be on the Cape track. I liked the current system. It has three tracks. One track for the learners who are just competing high school diploma. One for dually enrolled students who did college classes as well and the cape track for the high flyers. It provided three tracks based on ability and didn’t keep back anyone because of the other.
      If no VG student did Cape it would have to be a reason because the policy was applied across the whole education system.

      Like 15
      Dislike 6
  10. Eagle eyes says:

    The ministry of education was the best performing ministry under the last government. Anybody who says different very likely isn’t telling the truth. If that is true, which it is, why all the quick moves to change up what was working and what produced such good results for us?
    I am not seeing any emphasis on the economy and other areas like I’m seeing on the ministry of education which as I said in my opinion was the best performing ministry. Agriculture is dead and nothing doing.
    Fisheries can’t get off the ground and nothing doing
    Financial services in trouble and you can’t hear a word on it.
    But changes to education straight. First they stop the vanguard program that helped soo many special needs children, then something and something and something.
    Is it something personal against the former minister? Is it to reduce the good work that that ministry did? I don’t understand it.
    Politics will be the death of us if we don’t change.

    Like 40
    Dislike 7
    • Special says:

      How many students did the Vanguard program actually help? The numbers are much smaller than you think. It was a wonderful program for the few students that were given the opportunity to attend but what about the countless others? Do you know how many students we currently have in our system that require special needs services? Do you know that special needs services in the BVI is extremely underfunded? I agree with the minister. Let’s put the money into developing our local programs so that many more students can benefit. It is easy to look at things from the outside and criticize every decision that is made. However, the persons that are on the inside fully understand the need for the changes.

      Like 3
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  11. Hit nail on the head says:

    Need extra year which gives more time for students to work on their career path and also take as electives, basic courses in other career paths outside their own. For example, a math and science career path student in the senior programme should be allowed to take 3 or 4 electives such as basic woodwork, bookkeeping, office admin and architecture drawing. Then at the junior high level to firm up reading, writing and critical thinking skills which is another fancy phrase for comprehension and more offerings of pre-vocation or pre=career path immersion. When I was in the then BVI High, it was HOMEC and Woodwork or electricity theory. The added ones should be Computer applications (desktop publishing, website design, computer repair and networking), etc

  12. Teacher says:

    Good move Minister!Community Colleges are where CAPE is generally done in most other territories and they do a full programme unlike what we are doing here. Having the children do half a CAPE and done. Can’t compete with that.

    Like 6
    Dislike 13
  13. What Are We?? says:

    Spoke to a few educators and they think this is a move backward. Also spoke w former legislator Omar a few days and he will be writing an opinion on it. This madness must stop!

    Like 14
    Dislike 4
    • Anonymous says:

      How could you bring the deceased legislator into your nonsense comments? This is really low. If you oppose say so and give your reasons not use other people to try and get your point accross

  14. Politics again says:

    How is this an emergency? Isn’t developing fishing and agriculture to support the fledging economy more if a priority at this time. Cape at high school for advanced students is a good thing in my opinion while they mature and develop work skills etc. I remember the college officials speaking about the maturity of these students and how many of them rend spending three years in hlscc rather two years. The first college year is like they are still in high school. The plan in place was working, it just needed to be built on. I see this as a personal political move only to take the shine off the former minister. The former minister performed well. That can’t change. Build on it.
    And move in more urgent areas that need improving. Education was moving in the right direction.

    Like 14
    Dislike 5
    • Enquiring minds want to know says:

      So what happens to the kids in 11 grade 2 year fast track who have already passed the exit exam and have sat all of their CXC exams and whose only requirement now is to complete their community hours….where do they go from here?

      Do they move on to 12 grade with no prospect of doing CAPE or would the 11 graders be required to start CAPE at HLSCC?

  15. Will say it says:

    Now the BVI is going to produce a whole lot more dunces.

    Like 4
    Dislike 3
  16. @ Will say it says:

    Give me a break, you think all the students were doing CAPE. It was only a hand full. The BVI school system has produced a lot of intelligent minds; always has and always will.

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  17. Oh boy says:

    The NDP paid bloggers are out in force again. Dont mind the amount of likes or dislikes that favour Walwyn and NDP. School cant make children mature. Life does that. It takes a village. Everything cant be on the teachers and the school system. Its a village. Its the community.

  18. parent says:

    You Need To Do Something About These Devices Also..Do see the used of it spending unnecessary money and kids not using the device

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