Children’s Authority chairman Hanif Benjamin said that although some students may not have done well in this year’s CAPE and CSEC examinations, it is not the end of the world.
Speaking on CNC3 yesterday, Benjamin, who is completing his PHD, said that when he wrote O’Levels, he only attained two passes. Now, he is a clinical traumatologist who leads The Centre for Human Development as its president.
“The world has not ended. In Trinidad and Tobago and certain parts of the world or the Caribbean, we have made CXC the beginning and the end of it all. You think that if you don’t finish CXC at this point, your world has ended. The gate has not closed. It means that there is a second opportunity for you to perfect what you have been trying. There is no need to feel as if the world has ended. Yes, you may not have got the results. Yes, you may have wanted to move onto UWI this year or wherever you wanted to go, but here’s what, you can continue the journey,” Benjamin said.
He added that parents also need to understand that undue pressure they place on children also affects the outcome. Benjamin said what may be seen as underachievement may simply be “par for the course”. While some have not received the passes they desire, he said it simply means that they understand what they need to prepare for to reach their goals.
“I always tell people, I left CXC with two subjects. I’m almost finished my PHD and so it goes to show that you can propel, you can, in fact, do well. You can go back and do what you need to do and there are many options. As a matter of fact, it gives you an opportunity to see where you may not have excelled and to prepare yourself for better years to come,” Benjamin said.
