The number of male students writing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations has shown a marked decline over the years. This is a startling development which, according to Education Minister Shaik Baksh, must be addressed urgently.The minister underscored this point recently at the ministry’s awards ceremony on Friday, which was held at the National Cultural Centre.Minister Baksh pointed out that since the phenomenon is one that has occurred across the Caribbean, he intends to direct attention to it at the level of CARICOM when the next Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) meeting is held.Additionally, he noted, debates will have to be engaged countrywide in order to determine what can be done to have more male students participate in the CSEC examinations.Candidates’ entries by gender for the 2008 examination reflected a 37.19 percentage of males against a 62.18 percentage of females, which, according to the minister, is sending a strong message that some level of intervention must be streamlined.“It is telling us that males are not completing the secondary cycle, and we have to do something about that,” the minister disclosed.He disclosed that even at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), a similar trend has been detected, with 39 per cent representing males and 61 per cent females.“We have to remedy this situation and get our males in the school system to complete their education…”Meanwhile, the minister related, he is satisfied that the CSEC pass rate this year has shown that there was an improved level of performance. He pointed out that, in the grades one to three categories, there has been an overall pass rate of 57.2 per cent, which he is optimistic will soon reach 75 per cent.Further, he disclosed that examination of grades one to four revealed that there was a very high pass rate of 70.5 per cent. He added that, out of 36 subjects written, the pass rate in 32 subjects was above 50 per cent,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, many being between 70 and 90 per cent.He, however,Wholesale NFL Jerseys Online, expressed his disappointment that there were low performances in four subject areas, namely English A, English B, Geography and Mathematics.“We will have to have some further interventions to ensure that our children perform better; and so we have to work very hard in this country to improve this situation. In Mathematics, although the percentage this year has exceeded last year’s and there has been an improvement, we have to do much more.”According to the minister, the percentage of students who have gained five or more subjects at grades one to three is a mere 28. He believes that this must reach 50 per cent as early as possible.“It is only by getting your five subjects that you can get into the University of Guyana and pursue tertiary education, and so we have to move now.The secondary school system must be a feeder to the university and the post-secondary institutions,” he informed.The minister pointed out that in terms of CAPE, the local results of 87.9 per cent pass rate was excellent, as in previous years. This percentage, he said,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, should be emulated by the CSEC examination.He pointed out that through hard work on the part of teachers, students, education managers and parents, there is likely to be an improvement in the results.However, he related that a response to the situation has already been engaged,Wholesale Baseball Jerseys 2018, but he noted that the results may not be known, perhaps until another few years.According to the minister,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, there are several interventions across the country in terms of upgrading teachers in English and Mathematics.“Over 300 teachers are being trained…They are undergoing an internal certificate in English and Mathematics,Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping,(programme) and we will continue that for the foreseeable future, both in terms of content and methodology, until we resolve this low performance in the critical subject areas.”And through collaboration of the various Caribbean countries and the CXC body, it is the belief of the minister that the situation could be improved in the very near future.