By JADE RUSSELL 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson, criticised the Ministry of Education for annually attempting to justify national exam results when she says it is evident the academic curriculum needs revision.

Mrs Wilson was a guest caller on Guardian Radio’s “Morning Blend” show, where the latest Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exam results were discussed. Education officials revealed the results last Friday. However, there has been criticism that they presented an overly positive image of student performance.

Mrs Wilson noted that decades ago, when the General Certificate of Education (GCE) and General Certificate of Education and Secondary Education (GCSE) was administered, only about 15 to 20 percent of students achieved successful exam results. She said the same is now happening with the BJC and BGCSE exams.

“It behooves me though, that every year you have ministers of education who are not technocrats, who are not educated, who painstakingly sit down trying to explain the results of BJC and the BGCSE. It makes no sense to continue to do that annually,” Mrs Wilson said.

“What I’m trying to find out is why is the Ministry of Education every year regurgitating that which we can read instead of them focusing on revising the curriculum, ensuring that schools have adequate teachers, investing more in teacher training and professional development.”

Mrs Wilson acknowledged the learning gap in the education system but questioned the lack of intervention for struggling students. She expressed concern that special needs students are treated as if everything is normal when they need diagnosis and special education. She added that multiple factors influence the country’s national exam results.

Regarding curriculum revision, Mrs Wilson said that students are being required to take up to 13 subjects when some can’t even read. She stressed the need for intervention when students struggle with basic skills, questioning how they are expected to excel in various subjects under these conditions.

The national exam results over years have indicated that some students may not be academically inclined but excel in trades or technical work. While the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) offers relevant training, Mrs Wilson said it is becoming increasingly difficult for students to enter the institution due to academic requirements.

“What is it that we’re doing for the 80 to 85 percent of our students who will not pass a BJC or BGCSE if they stay in school for 100 years. So we need to accept what the reality is. The examinations are geared toward your top tier academic students who are between 15 to 20 percent of your student population throughout the country.”

Additionally, the Ministry of Education has participated in several international conferences to learn and implement strategies beneficial to the country’s education system. However, Mrs Wilson expressed her frustration, saying she is “sick and tired” of ministers attending these conferences without understanding the best practices needed for the country’s educational system.

“We go to these conferences, we show off as if The Bahamas is up there and then we come back and we do nothing,” she said.

In the 2024 BJC, 10,745 candidates from 63 government schools and 74 independent/private centres participated, a slight decrease of 1.7 percent from 2023. Of these, 1,388 candidates earned grades of C or higher in at least five subjects, a minor drop from 1,417 last year. Additionally, 1,948 candidates achieved grades of D or above in five or more subjects, up slightly from 1,945 in 2023. The number of students securing at least a C in Mathematics, English, and Science decreased to 1,298 from 1,402.

For the BGCSE, which marked its 32nd sitting since 1993, 5,935 candidates from 41 government schools and 66 independent/private centres participated, a 10.05 percent increase from 2023. The total number of grades awarded rose to 20,598, a 9.99 percent increase from 18,727 grades in the previous year.

Both male and female candidates showed improvements, with higher percentages of A to C grades and reductions in D to G grades. Although girls continue to outperform males overall, boys progressed in achieving B grades and reducing D and F grades.

This year, 653 candidates earned grades of C or higher in at least five subjects. Additionally, 1,009 candidates obtained a minimum grade of D in five or more subjects. Four hundred and thirty-one candidates secured at least a C in mathematics, English, and science.