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A lack of resources in schools does not seem to be the factor behind the poor performance of students in the recently released CXC information technology (IT) examination, according to reactions from several school administrators.
THERE ARE ENOUGH COMPUTERS
Only 10 per cent of the students who sat the exam at Camperdown High School managed to secure a pass. However, principal Cynthia Cooke told The Gleaner that the performance was not due to a resource problem as there are enough computers at the school.
However, she noted, "They (the teachers) are shocked (at the results)." Mrs. Cooke is unable to say what has caused this poor performance but said a scientific investigation would have to be conducted before she can comment further on the issue.
Marcia Muir, vice-principal at Godfrey Stewart High School in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, told The Gleaner that one of the reasons for the students' failure was because the students who sat the exam did not have any previous experience with computers prior to grade 10. She noted that even though this is the third year since the school has obtained a computer lab, the institution received an IT teacher only last year.
None of the students who sat the exam passed and Ms. Muir said they needed to take their work seriously and parents should invest in more extra lessons for their children.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Lileith Atkins-Bryan, principal of Vere Technical, told The Gleaner that the school's overall results were very low this year. She said that students usually performed very well at IT "but this year we do not know what went wrong."
Mrs. Atkins-Bryan said that teachers were complaining that students were not enthusiastic about the subject and had to be forced to do the school based assessment (SBA). Like Camperdown, Mrs. Atkins-Bryan noted that the school did not have a problem with resources.
Meanwhile, Campion College has recorded the best results across the region in the IT exams. Of the 104 candidates who sat the exam, 102 received distinctions while two obtained credits. Radley Reid, principal of the school, said that the recipe for the school's success was good students and reputable teachers.
He noted that students were exposed to IT from the lower school so by the time they were in third form they were quite competent. Mr. Reid also said that the students completed the textbook that is on the school's textbook rental scheme very quickly, prompting the IT teachers to write and publish the texts that the students are now using.
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