The Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence in Context: Local Adaptations and Global Lessons

1.1 A brief description of the main concepts used in this chapter

CCSLC: This is a Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) programme that provides all secondary school students with a core of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. It is the foundation offered at the lower secondary levels to help students better prepare for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations. Its core curriculum comprises Digital Literacy, English, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Science, and Social Studies.

Competency-Based Assessment (CBA): The CBA represents a shift from the traditional grading system, where students are assigned a letter grade or evaluated based on points and percentages. The focus is on providing meaningful feedback and ongoing assessment of learning outcomes. In this approach, students progress at their own pace, from developing competence to being competent and ultimately to mastery.

Discrete secondary school: Schools starting at Grade 7 and continuing through Grades 11 or 12 (typically students aged 11–16).

Mop-up training: Refresher CCSLC training that mirrors the initial CXC training programme, and offered by the Secondary Sector to new teachers or teachers who missed training when it was offered to their school.

National Schools: The National Schools are the five most senior schools located in Georgetown. Students gain placement in National schools based on their performance in the National Grade 6 examination, as determined by the schools’ cut-off mark set for that particular year.

Primary tops: Primary schools with Grades 7–11 (typically students aged 11–15).

Regional schools: Regional schools are the top schools in the region. Students who gain places at the National schools can opt to attend the Regional school. Alternatively, students are placed in Regional schools based on their performance in the National Grade 6 examination, as determined by the schools’ cut-off mark set for that particular year.

School-based assessment (SBA) component: SBAs are compulsory generic tasks that students are expected to complete at the end of each of the five CCSLC Modules for each subject.

Secondary school: A combination of discrete secondary and primary top schools.

Student-centred learning: Students’ active participation and voice in how they learn and what they learn through, for example, project-based discussions, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, reflective learning, hands-on (practical) learning, and the monitoring of their progress through a personalised learning plan.

Traditional programme: Refers to the Curriculum offered in Grade 7 prior to the implementation of CCSLC.

Whole-child development: Opportunities for students to operate in an environment that fosters physical, emotional, social, and academic growth.

1.2 The context

Guyana has been the fastest-growing economy globally for the last 2 years due to the discovery of its largest oil reserves in the Americas, a subregion of South America. Its landmass comprises 214,970 km² (83,000 sq. miles). The country is divided into 10 administrative regions, numbered 1 through 10; the capital city, Georgetown, is in Region 4. Guyana has a population of approximately 800,000, comprising six major ethnic groups spread across coastal, riverine, and hinterland areas.

Guyana is one of the 21 countries within the regional group, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CARICOM, headquartered in Guyana, is mandated to foster economic integration, cooperation, policy development, and coordination among its member states for the purposes of security, trade, and social development.

Social development in the region is facilitated through education provided by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), a regional institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CXC advises Caribbean heads of state on education, offers Caribbean educational programmes and syllabi relevant to the region’s educational needs, and provides qualifications recognised both regionally and internationally.

Guyana’s education system comprises public and private education institutions. Public institutions are state-owned and fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education (MoE). The institutions comprise four levels or sectors: nursery, primary, secondary, tertiary, and post-secondary (higher education). The Chief Education Officer (CEO) is responsible for all public education in Guyana, from nursery through secondary and some post-secondary institutions. Deputy CEOs, assistant CEOs, Regional and other education officers, and other personnel within MoE support the CEO.

Guyana’s decentralised education system is divided into 11 education districts, numbered 1 through 11; the capital city, Georgetown, is in District 11. There are 540 nursery schools, 469 primary schools, and 185 secondary schools across districts [1].

Schools are categorised as List A, List B, List C, and List D, and in the case of secondary schools, National and Regional Schools precede the Listings. ‘List’ refers to the performance of schools at regional examinations, with the National schools heading the List.

Upon completing basic education, which encompasses education from primary to Grade 9 at the secondary level [2], students generally transition to higher secondary levels, where they take the CXC examinations to be certified as ready for work or higher education. Some students transition from basic education to the outside world.

Guyana’s overall pass rate at CXC’s General and Technical proficiencies for Grades I to III for 2021, 2022, and 2023 is 66.3, 68.5, and 65%, respectively, while the overall pass rate for the Caribbean for the same years in the same order is 66.36, 73.815, and 74.36, respectively [1]. The data show fluctuations in Guyana’s performance and a general upward trend in the overall pass rate for the Caribbean. These fluctuations, and probably the disparity between the country’s and the Caribbean’s performances, highlight the need for a structured foundation programme, such as CCSLC, to better support students beyond the basic education level.

2.1 An overview of the CCSLC curriculum

CCSLC was developed and introduced in 2007 as the Caribbean region’s foundational programme for CSEC and TVET programmes offered at the upper Grades 10 and 11. Hence, it is offered in Grades 7 through 9 for students of ages 11–13. It is competency based; students can complete it in 1, 2, or 3 years, that is, in Grades 7, 8, or 9 [4].

The programme is recognised for its common standards across the region, which allow for certification portability and recognition both regionally and internationally [3, 5]. The programme commences in Grade 7 and should typically end in Grade 8. However, students may complete it in Grade 9, as the flexibility of the CCSLC’s Curriculum and its competency-based nature allows students to complete it in 1, 2, or 3 years, depending on their progression through the programme [4].

The CXC foundational programme appears to have been developed with a focus like that of Australia’s progressive Curriculum, which aims to “declutter content” [6] and identify “the essential content our children should learn” [6] at the lower grades to provide the skills, knowledge, and attitude for the seamless transition to the upper grades.

2.2 Key learning areas

The CCSLC curriculum comprises six key learning areas: English Language, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Digital Literacy, and Modern Language education, which are divided into smaller units, each with five modules, assessed continuously. This menu reflects a decluttering [6] from the traditional programme, which offers up to 14 subjects in some schools. These key areas are offered across the Caribbean, where CCSLC is implemented, but are not peculiar to the region. In the United States of America (USA), Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom (UK), students at similar grade levels are generally exposed to a similar curriculum [7, 8].

Different contexts represent strands of subjects differently; for example, while social studies, including history and geography, is taught in the CCSLC curriculum, in the Australian Curriculum, it is the History Foundation, comprising history and culture. In the USA, the social studies strand focuses on world history, politics, economics, and American history, while in Canada, it encompasses both history and geography. Nonetheless, in all instances, the aim is for students to develop the competency to participate actively in society through the exploration of governance structures, the diversity of various cultures, community interaction, national responsibilities, and regional and global awareness [3, 6].

2.3 Competencies and capabilities

In addition to removing content to ensure a narrow, deep, and rigorous curriculum, the CCSLC curriculum emphasises both subject-specific and generic competencies. The former includes digital literacy for the twenty-first century, social studies and citizenship skills, mathematical literacy, scientific literacy, and English language (oral and written) literacy, similar to the skills required for comparing grades in other contexts, such as those in Australia.

The Curriculum also enables students to acquire generic competencies in problem-solving, critical thinking, informed decision-making, emotional intelligence, positive self-concept development, conflict resolution, self-management, creativity and innovation, collaboration, and social and civic skills.

These competencies and capabilities enable students to become informed citizens, confident, creative, active and ultimately, successful learners [9].

2.4 Attitudes and values

The CCSLC will certify that students have developed a range of fundamental values and attitudes, including a positive self-image and respect for others and the environment, an aversion to all forms of violence, and an appreciation for using arbitration and conciliation to resolve disputes. It provides students with the opportunity to understand the value of individual freedom and accepting personal responsibility for their actions, as well as recognise the value of freedom of association and expression, the equality of opportunity, and the right to due process.

2.5 Assessments in CCSLC

Unlike the traditional programme, the CCSLC programme is not assessed by an annual examination and is multifaceted, comprising formative assessment (assessment for learning) and summative assessment (assessment of learning).

Formative assessments guide instruction and provide appropriate feedback regarding students’ learning development. In the CCSLC programme, formative assessments, which are tasks embedded in the learning activity and linked to the unit of instruction (as provided in the syllabus), and school-based assessments (SBAs), or generic tasks given at the end of each module, constitute coursework. As the primary purpose of assessment is to gauge students’ learning progress, formative assessments, in particular, provide opportunities for students to be guided on how well they have performed and coached on what they should do to strengthen their weak areas. For formative feedback to be meaningful, it must be provided promptly.

Summative assessment, which is the exit or external examination, is administered by CXC at the end of the programme as an evaluation of student achievement.

The scores from the external examination and the students’ end-of-module SBA assessment constitute the overall score for the subject, as presented in (Table 1) [3].

Assessment as learning, although not explicitly stated in Table 1 [3], is an inherent part of the multifaceted assessment approach to CCSLC. Assessment as learning is encouraged by the student-centred nature of the programme. For instance, the competency-based, modular, student-centred focus of CCSLC allows students to set individual goals and learning plans and work on these plans, making adjustments where necessary as they monitor their progress. This approach helps students to become independent learners.

In Australia, the UK, Canada, and the USA, assessment types are comparable to those of CCSLC, with a strong emphasis on ‘assessment for learning’ through descriptive feedback and coaching and an implicit focus on ‘assessment as learning’ [10, 11, 12, 13]. Additionally, in the USA, there is an interim assessment, also known as a benchmark assessment, which falls between formative and summative assessments [13].

The interim assessment is administered at intervals before the summative assessment to identify gaps, which can inform data-driven decisions, such as adjusting teaching strategies and allocating resources to better prepare students for summative assessments. The interim assessment serves a similar purpose to the sample testing administered in Australia to benchmark literacy and numeracy as part of the National Assessment Programme in Literacy and Numeracy [14].

4.1 Incorporating relevant subjects

In relevance to the needs of the local education system and the country, Guyana has incorporated health and physical education, as well as technical, vocational, and business studies, literature, and a special literacy programme alongside the CCSLC in its Grade 7 offerings. The rationale for these inclusions is as follows:

Firstly, physical and health education are incorporated to develop the ‘whole child’ [16], providing a holistic approach to students’ well-being and helping them develop lifelong habits that support their mental health.

Technical, vocational, and business studies programmes offer skill-based training that aligns with CCSLC’s competency-based focus. Technical, vocational, and business education is driven by the need to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation, thereby ensuring that individuals from diverse backgrounds can acquire employable skills and enhance their livelihoods. Furthermore, foundational studies in these areas equip students with practical skills relevant to sectors, such as oil and gas, agriculture, digital technology, and hospitality [17, 18]. In line with national development priorities, the government of Guyana has expanded technical institutions across several regions to provide greater access to technical, vocational, and business training.

Literature is necessary at the lower levels to enhance language proficiency development, as students’ exposure to diverse literary texts can improve comprehension, vocabulary, communication, and critical thinking skills, as well as social awareness and personal growth. School administrators of schools where CCSLC is implemented have the autonomy to choose between Literacy and Literature, depending on the school’s needs.

The other inclusion, literacy, is one of the most significant barriers to equity and social mobility [19]. Literacy remains a challenge for the education sector, contributing to disparities in student examination performance, despite the implementation of large-scale literacy programmes by the MoE [20].

Hence, the inclusion of a special literacy programme provides for the development of foundational literacy skills in reading fluency, comprehension, vocabulary development, writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Generally, it is accepted that once we can change the way children read and comprehend, we can also influence whether they want to stay in school, their academic performance while in school, and their overall academic outcomes [20].

These inclusions are also reflected in the curricula of Australia, Canada, the USA, and the UK [7, 8, 21, 22], as well as the study of native languages in Canada [11]. Additionally, students in the USA are exposed to literature and manual speciality subjects, such as agriculture, mechanics, carpentry, accounting, and finance (referred to as technical vocational education in Guyana). List A National and Regional schools, with permission from the MoE, can add other subjects to their list of offerings [4].

4.2 The support system

The support system comprises a Country Team, a CXC requirement. A CCSLC country team is crucial in implementing and overseeing CCSLC within a nation’s education system; hence, the Team is established for “the management and operation of the programme” [23]. Its members include the Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO), Secondary (ACEOS), who serves as the Chair of the Committee; the CCSLC Programme Manager, who reports directly to the ACEO(S) and, in a broad sense, ensures CCSLC stakeholder engagement, training, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the programme across schools. Additionally, the Programme Manager generally keeps the Team updated on the progress of CCSLC and, in turn, is guided by the Team regarding policy decisions. Another Team member is the Local Registrar and Superintendent of Examinations, who is Guyana’s liaison with CXC. Five committee members serve the Team in addition to the CEO, who is an ex-officio member.

4.3 Stakeholder engagement

Critical stakeholders’ engagements were hosted to sensitise stakeholders regarding the new programme and its alignment with national education and development goals. The three sessions involved school administrators, teachers, and students in Grades 7 and 8. Other participating groups included parents, education officers, policymakers, corporate society representatives, educators, the principal, the director, and vice-principals of the country’s premier teacher training college. These engagements will continue in areas where they are needed until full implementation is achieved.

4.4 CCSLC training and upskilling

Teacher Training: Secondary school teachers are responsible for participating in CCSLC training sessions, becoming familiar with the Curriculum, and delivering it to students [4]. With support from the Secondar Sector within MoE, CXC conducts CCSLC training virtually or in person. Teachers who undergo CCSLC training are typically subject specialists. Hence, training aims to sensitise teachers to the CCSLC syllabi and strengthen their expertise in delivering competency-based methodologies.

The first training, conducted virtually, involved one school and 12 teachers. This school is generally referred to as the ‘CCSLC Model School’, as it provides professional guidance through the relevant authority to schools that later implement the programme. Subsequently, there were two phases of training: Phase I, which took place in October 2024, and Phase II, which took place in December 2024. Teacher training is ongoing, with full implementation anticipated by the end of 2025.

Generally, training is conducted in clusters based on the location of schools and the target number of participants. Based on its narrower curriculum menu, some might argue that the CCSLC programme is best suited for List C and D schools. This argument may be valid, as students in National, Regional, and List A schools have demonstrated their ability to cope with a broader menu of subjects [24]. Nonetheless, the CCSLC programme is relevant to all secondary schools for several reasons; administratively, it standardises Guyana’s secondary programme and provides equity in the system. At the classroom level, acquiring generic skills, also known as soft skills, will likely support whole-child development [16].

For Phase I training, schools were strategically selected from each Listing category to eliminate any perception that the programme is intended for schools deemed to be low-performing, that is, schools with students who have lower-than-expected performance for their age. Consequently, Lists A, B, C, and D schools were selected in this initial Phase, and for future training clusters, schools will be chosen from across the Listing categories.

Since its adaptation in August 2024, Guyana has trained 825 teachers in 40% of the secondary schools across its 11 education districts (Educ Dist) (see Table 2), 52% of the discrete secondary schools, and 18% of primary tops. All the discrete secondary schools in Education Districts 8 and 9 are trained, and 53% of the primary schools in District 9. District 7 has the lowest percentage of schools trained, 13%.

Training of School Administrators and Regional CCSLC Officers: The prevailing trend in global education policy places the school at the centre of education reform. Moreover, in a decentralised education system, such as that which operates in Guyana, school administrators—heads/principals, deputies, and heads of departments—in all education districts are responsible for implementing school reforms to achieve common objectives [26]. In this case, the primary role of school administrators is to lead the implementation of the CCSLC process, including teacher engagement and resource allocation [4]. Hence, the primary training objectives are to familiarise school administrators with the objectives and structure of the CCSLC programme, highlight the programme’s importance in providing a foundation for improved performance at CSEC, clarify roles, and foster collaboration among school administrators in implementing and maintaining the programme.

The Regional CCSLC Officers liaise between the schools and the Programme Manager to ensure that CCSLC’s implementation aligns with the local Ministry’s guidelines. Exposure to CCSLC training equips officers with the knowledge of the programme and their respective monitoring and supervisory roles, ensuring an effective and sustainable programme [4].

The training sessions were divided into two clusters (CL1 and CL2), with the first comprising 233 participants and the second comprising 244 participants. Each cluster consists of the respective schools’ administrators and the Regional Monitors (see Table 3).

Having the school administrators and regional monitors trained together provides an opportunity for the respective groups to foster a collaborative and cohesive environment, aligning individual roles with the CCSLC objectives and requirements. This unified approach facilitates better communication and understanding among participants, resulting in more consistent and effective implementation across educational districts.

Furthermore, this collective training allows participants to share their experiences, challenges, and best practices. Learning from each other’s insights and perspectives can enhance overall competence and readiness to successfully implement the CCSLC programme, thereby contributing to the development of a strong, supportive network of informed leaders working in cohesion and fostering a more resilient and adaptive educational system.

4.5 The implementation approach

All secondary schools in Guyana are required to offer the CCSLC programme, and the implementation approach is phased, with teachers being trained in stages and the programme being rolled out following training [4]. A study supports the compulsory implementation of CCSLC across schools, finding that the CCSLC Mathematics programme prepares students for advanced mathematical studies and recommends the mandatory implementation of CCSLC for all males preparing to write the CSEC Mathematics [28]. Although the study is limited to gender and subject, it suggests that the CCSLC programme provide a good foundation for the CSEC programme, to which all students in the lower grades should be exposed [28]. This view is supported by the CCSLC Model school, which stated that “the programme is good; every school should take it.”

Of the 73 schools that are CCSLC trained (Table 2), 92% have implemented the programme. Less than 100% implementation implies that there are implementation challenges, although not necessarily only in schools that have not yet commenced the programme.

4.6 Challenges in local adaptation

Three broad challenges to local adaptation seem to exist. These issues relate to the lack of CCSLC training, the need for retraining, the scarcity of subject specialists, and limited material resources.

Firstly, regarding training, “some teachers, including seniors, have not yet been trained, which poses a problem in fully understanding the programme.” Also, “HM(Headmistress/Headmaster) and SM (Senior mistress/Senior master) were not trained. Hence, they were not confident about implementation.” Another school shared that “only the teachers in the English and Social Studies Departments were trained in CCSLC. Teachers were not confident about the implementation.” Furthermore, it was revealed that in one school:

Except for training in Digital Literacy and a foreign language, scheduled for June-July 2025, the other challenges appear to arise in situations where teachers and administrators from schools selected for training were absent at the time the training was conducted or where new teachers have joined the staff after the training. These individuals would benefit from ‘mop-up’ training and continuous professional development as part of the support system for full implementation at all schools that have been trained.

Secondly, the scarcity of subject specialist teachers will hinder the full implementation of this initiative in schools where this challenge exists. For instance, in one school, “there is a need for a foreign language teacher, a Science teacher, and an Information Technology teacher.” Other schools mentioned a need for “foreign language teachers.”

CCSLC syllabi are available on the MoE’s Guyana website. Regardless, the lack of resources is evident in complaints about schools having “difficulties sourcing content materials for some topics and gathering materials to deliver the programme to the competency-based level.” In other schools, “teachers have been trained but do not possess the syllabi.”

All schools have internet access. However, given the school’s geographic location, this challenge might result from unreliable internet access. Other schools lamented that “supporting textbooks are needed for the core subjects.” In contrast, other schools stated, “The materials (syllabi and textbooks currently in schools) are helpful.” In addition to resources on MoE’s website, CCSLC syllabi, modules, and other curriculum materials are on CXC’s portal. However, this does not refute the need for printed resources for schools with resource access challenges.

4.7 Successes in local adaptations

The implementation of CCSLC commenced in January 2025; therefore, the following success stories are not based on classroom performance. They are excerpts from teachers’ evaluations on what impressed them about the CCSLC training. These responses indicate a supportive culture of buy-in for the programme. Such a culture is crucial in the implementation process as it helps lead change and ensure sustainability [29].

One teacher remarked that “the new program they want to implement is a good initiative” (referring to the MoE, Guyana). Another added that “it is timely and will help students in all aspects of their lives.” A teacher was “impressed with the relevance of the CCSLC programme and how it caters to our students’ needs.” Another remarked that “the CCSLC programme impressed me from the beginning. I constantly asked myself why this was not implemented earlier. This programme was created with the students in mind and will help them move forward.” Teachers were also impressed with “the different teaching styles that can be used in the classroom and the concept of the CCSLC programme.”

Others were impressed because “students are given a chance to do something meaningful with their lives, even after they would have left school at Grade 9,” and “the fact that students can attain a competency certification in the event of an unfortunate school leaving at Grade 9.” These comments about the value of CCSLC’s certification for work (see Figure 1) relate to the teachers’ experiences with the dropout rate in Grade 9. Fifty per cent of students do not transition to the upper Grades in secondary schools [30]. Though this information is dated, the teachers’ comments suggest that dropout remains a problem in some schools.

“What impressed me with this workshop is that there is no failure in the CCSLC programme”, and “how much feedback can influence a child’s learning style.”

Further:

Teachers were also impressed with the benefits of CCSLC for lower-level learners, specifically in Grades 7 and 8. This impression was also expressed in Turks and Caicos, where it is felt that “the CCSLC programme is a programme that the MoE (of Turks and Caicos Islands) believes … can benefit every single child in the Turks and Caicos Islands” [31].

In addition to the benefits of CCSLC for students’ learning development, other benefits include the growth of teachers. For example: