School Leaving exam has ended

In 2021, two regional examinations are expected to replace the National School Leaving examination, which has been administered since the 1960s.
This year, the last batch of candidates were to sit the school leaving examination, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19 and from next year, the examination will no longer be offered.
Earlier this year, a notice was printed in the Government’s gazette informing of Cabinet’s decision to discontinue the examination effective April 2021.
The notice advised institutions that offered the examination to use alternatives such as the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) or the Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ).
CCSLC is a secondary-level qualification developed by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) and offered in the Caribbean region since 2007.
It comprises an internal/school-based component and an external assessment (a multiple-choice paper).
This exam is offered to all students in form 3 or higher and adult learners attached to a centre.
CVQ, which reflects qualification in five levels, is a competency-based approach to training, assessment and certification.
Candidates are expected to demonstrate competence in attaining occupational standards developed by practitioners, industry experts and employers. Those standards when approved by CARICOM allow for easy movement across the region.
According to the Ministry of Education, the reasons for the discontinuation of the National School Leaving Examination are because of the drastic decline in the number of students who registered for the examination in last few years and the increase in the age for students to write the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).
Additionally, since the school leaving examination was only recognized locally, the Ministry is moving to regional examinations that offer students global accreditation.
Persons eligible to write the national school leaving examination were students who exhausted their chances at the CPEA when the age limit of 13 was established. Therefore, students 14-16 (in school) and adulst attached to institutions such as Her Majesty’s Prison, Grand Anse Social Centre, and Adult Literacy Centres were eligible.
The National School Leaving Examination consisted of eleven papers in Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, Geography, History, General Science, Agricultural Science, Home Economics, Woodwork, Art, Health and Family Life Education.
The papers included multiple choice, fill in the blanks and constructed response. The mathematics paper also had a project component equivalent to 15 marks.
The examination, which was administered by the Ministry of Education, was funded by the Government of Grenada.