Bahamas Minister of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin highlighted the positive trends in the latest results from The Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) examinations on Friday.
The minister noted that improvements have been seen across the islands, The Tribune, one of The Bahamas’ leading daily newspapers, reported on Saturday.
Speaking in the House of Assembly, Minister Hanna-Martin said the 2024 BJC examination saw 10,745 candidates from 63 government schools and 74 independent and private centers record a slight decrease of 1.72% from the 10,933 candidates in 2023.
Of these, 1,388 candidates achieved grades of C or higher in at least five subjects, a minor decline from 1,417 in 2023. Additionally, 1,948 candidates received grades of D or above in five or more subjects, a slight increase from 1,945 last year.
A total of 1,298 candidates earned at least a C in Mathematics, English, and Science subjects, down from 1,402 in 2023. This decrease may be attributed to recent adjustments in the National High School Diploma requirements.
The 2024 BGCSE examination, marking its 32nd sitting since 1993, involved 5,935 candidates from 41 government schools and 66 independent/private centers. This represents a 10.05% increase from the 5,393 candidates in 2023. The total number of grades awarded rose to 20,598, a 9.99% increase from 18,727 grades in 2023.
The performance of male and female candidates reflects overall trends in the BGCSE exams. Both groups have improved their percentages of A to C grades, decreased in D to G grades, and shown increases in U grades. Females continue to outperform males, although males have made greater strides in improving B grades and reducing D and F grades.
“The numbers demonstrate that we have gotten our children back into school, that we are mitigating the effects of the pandemic loss, and that we are positioning our young people for success. We are pleased to see the improvements among our girls and boys,” Hanna-Martin said.