BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, AUGUST 24TH 2014 (CUOPM) – Students in St. Kitts and Nevis are being encouraged to increase participation rates in Foreign Languages, Mathematics and the natural sciences at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level.
“This year, given our observation in recent years, we have collaborated with the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) to implement the R-E-A-C-H that not only should spur increased enrolment at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) in St. Kitts and the Nevis Sixth Form College, but this innovative programme has been designed to increase student enrolment in Mathematics, Sciences and Foreign Languages,” said Federal Minister of Education, Sen. the Hon. Nigel Carty.
CAPE, the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination, is taken by students in the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), and at the Nevis Sixth Form College.
Students write CAPE examinations at Unit 1 and Unit 2 in selected subject areas, commonly taking Unit 1 in their first year of study and Unit 2 in their second year. The CAPE programme is flexible and allows students a maximum of five (5) years in which to obtain an Associate’s Degree from a combination of Units that they pursue.
The total number of candidates in St. Kitts and Nevis sitting the CAPE Examinations this year CAPE, was 454. Exams were written in 42 units across St. Kitts and Nevis. There were 1,636 subject entries with 1,385 entries or 85% returning passing grades.
The CAPE results for the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFB), for the academic year ending 2014 featured 335 students who registered for the CAPE examinations. There were 1,198 registered subject entries, 57 percent or 675 being Unit 1 courses, and 43 percent or 523 of them being Unit 2 courses. Of these, 86% or 1,034 entries returned a passing grade at the CFBC.
“Of the Unit 1 courses, the most popularly taken were Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies, Economics, Management of Business, Information Technology and Sociology. High levels of registration were also realised in Accounting, Biology, Law and Pure Mathematics. Given the trend of performance in Mathematics throughout the Caribbean Region, it is quite heartening to point to 34 students at the CFBC and 20 at the Nevis Sixth Form College sitting the Pure Mathematics examination at CAPE. This is quite commendable indeed,” Minister Carty reported, adding: French, Spanish, Literatures in English, Physics, Art and Design, Geography, Computer Science and Applied Mathematics were the least favoured Unit 1 subject choices.”
For Unit 2, most popular were Economics, Information Technology, Law, Management of Business and Sociology.
The following subjects returned a 100% pass rate at CAPE Unit 1: Art and Design, Computer Science, Digital Media (introduced by CXC just last year), French, Geography, History, Literatures in English, Physics and Spanish.
The Unit 2 courses producing a 100% pass rate were the following: Applied Mathematics, Art and Design, Biology, French, Geography, Management of Business, Physics, Pure Mathematics and Sociology.
At the Nevis Sixth Form College the CAPE results show a total of 119 candidates registered for 438 subject entries. Of the total entries, 49% were for Unit 1 courses while 51% were for unit 2.
Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies, Economics, Information Technology and Sociology were the most popular Unit 1 courses, while for Unit 2, the popular subjects were Biology, Law and Management of Business.
For Unit 1, the following subjects attained a 100% pass rate: Art & Design, Communication Studies, Geography, Physics and Spanish, whereas at Unit 2, Biology, Chemistry and Information Technology achieved the same result. The overall pass rate for the 2014 CAPE examinations at the Nevis Sixth Form College stands at 80%.
“I wish to congratulate the students and lecturers at the Nevis Sixth Form College and the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College for their commitment to task that helped our students achieve another year of sterling academic performance at CAPE. I also commend the parents for their support and encouragement,” said Minister Carty.
Mr. Carty reminded the Federation that from among the second year students from the Nevis Sixth Form College or the CFBC, the winner of the State Scholarship and runner-up for 2014 will be named after a full assessment of the students’ performance.