Government keeps PEP as primary exit exam and rejects CXC regional alternative

Jamaica has no intention of replacing the Primary Exit Profile with the Caribbean Examinations Council's regional primary assessment, Education Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon said at a press briefing at Jamaica House on Monday.

The announcement follows questions raised since CXC's regional conference in March over whether the island should follow several Eastern Caribbean territories and adopt the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment instead of PEP. Critics have pointed to the demands of PEP, students struggling with heavy workloads, and ongoing literacy and numeracy challenges.

Dr. Morris Dixon defended the local exam, telling reporters: "We quite like our PEP. We think it's one of the best in the world. This level and CXC is looking at our exam. So, we're the leader in terms of an exam at this stage, and the level at which it is and what we are asking of our students is as good as anywhere else in the rest of the world, and I think we should lead."

She said literacy and numeracy outcomes have improved this year, with plans to support students who continue to lag behind. Literacy recorded the strongest performance, with 79 per cent of students achieving a mastery grade, while numeracy mastery stood at 75 per cent.

On concerns about the intensity of PEP, Dr. Morris Dixon said she has spoken with psychologists and psychiatrists who are treating children stressed by exam preparation. She said students are generally prepared, but added that some pressure comes from parents and from competition for secondary school places. She cited one case in which a teacher told a child, "Don't talk to me if you don't get to this school," calling that approach unacceptable.

She said the next step, alongside strengthening foundational learning, must include raising the standard of secondary schools.

The ministry is also weighing whether to keep temporary PEP changes introduced after recent hurricane disruptions or return to the original exam structure. Those adjustments included modifying the national standards curriculum so students would cover fewer objectives in core subjects. Dr. Morris Dixon said officials are consulting exam specialists on whether the revised approach still provides enough insight into how pupils are entering high school. She added that the one element she would like restored is long-form writing.