WESTERN BUREAU:

Several high school educators in western Jamaica fear that some students may not meet the deadline to be registered for their external examinations because of hiccups with a new online registration system.

Principal of Albert Town High School in Trelawny, Wentworth Gabbidon, said his institution was experiencing challenges in getting students registered for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

"We are having some real difficulties with this online system, the process is slow and very tedious. We have three persons working on this registration thing night and day," a frustrated Gabbidon told The Gleaner yesterday.

Need additional time

He charged that while the deadline for online registration was next Tuesday, he had already communicated the need for additional time to complete the entries to the Ministry of Education.

The ministry has also written to the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) to express concern about the difficulties schools were facing in registering candidates for the CSEC and Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination, to be written in May/June 2010.

"The ministry called CXC's attention to the problems schools are having with the examination body's online registration system," a press release read.

Severe difficulties

It pointed out that schools have been facing severe difficulties, "including registration of each candidate taking as long as 30 minutes, constant 'hanging up' of the system during registration of candidates, and users being unable to log on to CXC's system".

A representative from a reputable high school in Montego Bay, St James, also echoed Gabbidon's sentiments.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the educator argued that: "The online system is very, very slow, especially during the days. Therefore, my technology teacher has to bring it home to try and get the work done at nights when the system tends to move a bit faster."

The school administrator confirmed that the school had completed approximately 80 per cent of registration but there was still a long way to go.