By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A governance reformer yesterday warned the Ministry of Education not to lose sight of the fact this year's BGCSE exam results "create an unsustainable scenario" that will undermine GDP growth.

Robert Myers, the Organisation for Responsible Governance's (ORG) principal, told Tribune Business that while he was not criticising education officials for congratulating themselves on holding the exams amid COVID-19, they were seemingly failing to notice that the deteriorating grades are "detrimental to the nation's success".

"I'm sure they feel that's an accomplishment," he said of the Ministry's self-praise for just holding the exams, "and considering the circumstances I'd agree it's an accomplishment. But that accomplishment doesn't diminish the effect the results are going to have on productivity and the wider economy.

"It's just that the results are a measure of capacity and skills, and it would indicate there's a significant problem. Yes, it's wonderful being able to keep school open and complete the exams, but the macro picture is not that. The macro picture is what effect that has on the economy and people's livelihoods, and their capacity to become employed and productive members of society.

The Ministry of Education previously said national exam results worsened in 2020 compared to 2019, with fewer students achieving A, B and C grades and more students receiving D, E, F and G grades compared to the year before.

The total percentage of grades awarded at 'D' or higher was lower this year than in any of the previous four years, and the overall number of test takers plummeted amid the COVID-19 crisis, according to statistics from the Ministry of Education.

The number of BGCSE candidates that received at least a 'C' grade in five or more subjects declined by 5.8 percent. The number of students that received a minimum grade of 'D' in at least five subjects declined by nine percent, and the number of candidates that received at least a 'C' in mathematics, English language and a science declined by 3.3 percent.

"The ministry feels that's a success, but the reality is the results are poor and declining," Mr Myers told this newspaper. "That's going to become even more obvious in this COVID-19 environment. They may have been able to complete the tests, but it doesn't distract from the fact we have a bigger macroeconomic problem.

"Education may feel good about it, but the business community surely doesn't and civil society surely shouldn't. That needs to be the focus. It's going to be a drain on GDP growth unless we get more aggressive with the importation of more educated workers that can provide skills training.

"I'm not arguing with the Ministry's interpretation of how they're feeling. I'm merely saying these results create an unsustainable scenario for The Bahamas. If they choose to believe they've done a good job, I'm not criticising that. I'm just saying the overall results are detrimental to the nation's success. We've always got to focus on the core problem."

Statistics released by the Ministry of Education also revealed that 10,753 students sat the BJC exams, representing a 3.62 percent decrease from 2019. The number of students sitting the BGCSE exams declined by 5.9 percent, with 6,073 candidates registered for the 2020 exams compared to 6,454 in 2019. Many viewed the Ministry's statements as an attempt to distract from the results.

Mr Myers, in a previous interview, branded the results "diabolical" and warned that they will further undermine efforts to grow the Bahamian economy at the faster pace needed to recover from COVID-19.

He added that failing to develop a productive workforce will impair the international competitiveness of both Bahamian businesses and the wider economy unless drastic improvement is seen.

"The challenge with this diabolical result is that there are, yet again, more young adults now in the job market who are under-educated and woefully unemployable as they do not possess the basic skills, soft skills and/or specific skills to be of value to employers," Mr Myers said.

"What these new results mean in terms of future productivity and GDP is the larger macro problem, and one that successive administrations have failed to address adequately or honestly for decades.

"Without an educated and productive workforce, our economy will not grow at anywhere near the rates necessary to meet the fiscal demands required for social and fiscal stability. Where is the government's macro understanding and vision that will provide opportunities for future generations? Fanning people's hopes with promises and lies are no longer a believable manifesto and the people know it."

He continued: "Successive governments continue to implement exactly the opposite policies they should be. Their nationalistic policies have further increased the cost of doing business, lowered productivity and continue to hamper GDP growth and employment.

"If The Bahamas expects to survive in today's world then, at some point very soon, it must find a generation of honest leaders that are prepared to accept the failures of our past and have the courage and vision to plot a new course. The sobering reality is that the leadership and governance of yesterday are of no use in today's Bahamas if they continue to protect the status quo and their own self-interest.