(Jamaica Observer) Students throughout the Caribbean region continue to perform dismally in mathematics with a mere 32 per cent of entries achieved acceptable grades in the June 2011 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
This compares with 41 per cent in 2010 and 40 per cent in 2009.
Performance declined in more subjects than those in which improvement was shown, according to statistics released by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).
Of the 34 subjects offered this year, performance improved in 10, declined in 21 and remained the same on three.
However, performance was better in English A (English language) and English B (English literature).
The improvement in English A follows the trend of the last two years. This year 67 per cent of the entries achieved the passing grades one to three compared with 61 per cent last year and 56 per cent in 2009. Eighteen per cent of the entries achieved grade one and 21 per cent achieved grade two.
The CXC described performance in English B as “very satisfactory” this year even though there was a six percentage point decline, from 76 per cent last year to 71 per cent this year.
In the sciences, performance in biology and physics declined slightly with 73 per cent of candidates achieving passing grades, both down from 75 per cent a year ago. But chemistry grades dropped with 63 per cent passing from 70 per cent a year ago.
Among the subjects with improved performance this year were Caribbean History up to 74 per cent compared with 65 per cent last year; Economics, up to 70 per cent compared with 62 per cent last year; Music and Principles of Accounts both at 66 per cent this year compared with 53 per cent and 64 per cent last year respectively; and Spanish at 67 per cent passing compared with 64 per cent last year.
