EMBRACING TECH

AS technology becomes more prominent in the educational system, one education officer recognises the need to embrace technological advancements in order for the island to progress.

Speaking during the annual Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Staff Appreciation Awards Ceremony that took place at the Hilton Barbados Resort on Thursday night, Joy Adamson, Deputy Chief Education Officer who spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, expressed that she was pleased to hear about the CXC’s upcoming strategic plans.

“I have heard excellent reports on your strategic plans for the next few years and I am pleased to see that CXC continues to embrace technological channels for marketing and testing, as this is the direction in which the education is going,” she said.

“Yes, we here in Barbados will get on the bandwagon with e-testing and we would make sure that we continue to live up to your expectations when it comes to embracing technology.”

She encouraged the organisation to continue to foster collaboration between Ministries and teachers across the region, as this collaboration and partnership will increase the opportunity to learn together and by extension sharpen their competitive advantages.

“Put the best interest of the region’s learners first when working towards the greater good of our people both young and old, and we can become stronger than any single Caribbean island on its own,” she said.

She went on to note that the role CXC plays in education was commendable as they would have signed up for a career that not only serves Barbados, but the wider CARICOM union.

She believed that the growth over the last 40 years was remarkable as they were able to grow from offering assessments in only five subject areas in 1981 to an “intricate tapestry of 30 subjects, which are offered to over 120 000 candidates in a typical May to June sitting”.

Adamson stated that she was encouraged by the high standards CXC held for itself and their growth in offerings to meet the needs of our future leaders, and expressed that she was confident in the fact that they would continue to ensure that the global human resource of our Caribbean citizens remained competitive.