I must use this medium to agree fully with the Govern-ment's decision to revisit the issue of paying for some subjects at the CSEC/CAPE level for all high school students. I believe that it is too much of a waste of money and a great loss to the Government and ultimately the country. With our economic situation the way it is at present, I think it is a great move by the education minister and the Government to seek to cut back on some of our unnecessary expenditures by attempting to withdraw the policy which obliges it to pay for students to enter for some core subjects.

It may sound harsh, and many may say, how can we be cutting back on such a policy when our students need to be given the opportunity to advance by qualifying themselves for the future? Of course, this is true; but why should we continue to pay for subjects for students who sometimes are not even interested in a future that comes with success in education?

Failed investment

Too often, because the Government pays for all students who have reached the CSEC/CAPE level (grade or age), many who are quite unprepared and sometimes otherwise challenged are registered by their institutions for these government-paid subjects. At the end of the day, the result is a failed investment by the state. Too many millions of dollars go down the drain as a result of some of these entrants (paid for by the state) not showing up for exams, being inadequately prepared, and a few other reasons which all lead to failing grades.

There needs now to be a policy change, possibly one in which the Government will cover only the cost of those core subjects being sat by students who have maintained a specific grade average (set by schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education) that would indicate that there has been some degree of consistency in academic per-formance throughout the students' earlier years at the secondary level. This should give some confidence that none or very little of the Government's spending might go to waste (due to students' failure).

All students who fail to qualify must be requested to pay their way through. All students who fit the criteria and were paid for by government, but failed the exams, should be made to repay the Government. On the other hand, all students who had failed to meet the registration criteria and get the subsidy, and ended up passing the subjects in their external exams, should be repaid by the Government. This would be a fair compensation.

Pay own fees

Another suggestion is for all students to pay for the examinations on their own and, as soon as the results are released, those who are successful be reimbursed for the said core subjects previously paid for by the Government.

All the money usually allocated to the CSEC/CAPE payments should be in a particular fund, so that successful students will be able to access it as soon as the results are out. All the funds which remain after these payments are made, can either be brought over to the following year (be a government saving) or be transferred to the funds of the Students' Loan Bureau.

This is the way to go. Let's give it a try.

I am, etc.,

SEAN A. DAVIS

President

Excelsior High School

Sixth-form Association

seanyboo@hotmail.com

Excelsior High School

137 Mountain View Avenue

Kingston 3

All the money usually allocated to the CSEC/CAPE payments should be in a particular fund, so that successful students will be able to access them as soon as the results are out.