The Sub-Committee of the Schools Examinations Committee (SUBSEC) held its first meeting for 2016 on 14 April. During the meeting, five CAPE subjects and one CSEC subject came under scrutiny.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology

Based in beta-testing and focus groups held across the Region, there were a number of recommendations with the most significant change made being the nomenclature of the syllabus from “Electrical and Electronic Technology” to “Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology” to reflect emerging engineering competencies. This changed was approved along with the specimen examination papers. The revised syllabus will be available for teaching from September 2016 and for examination in May/June 2017.

History

The CAPE History syllabus was revised and subsequently beta-tested prior to the meeting held in January 2016 to finalise the syllabus. The major change is a change in the name of Unit 1 from “The Caribbean in the Atlantic World” to “The Caribbean Within the Atlantic Region”. The changes to the syllabus were approved along with the final draft and specimen examination papers for teaching effective from September 2016 and for examinations in May-June 2017.

Law

The CAPE Law syllabus was reviewed and proposed amendments would be circulated for feedback from subject specialists and a sample of teachers in each Participating Territory. A Panel Meeting to finalize the syllabus would be held in November 2016 and the finalized syllabus would be submitted to SUBSEC for its approval at its April 2017 meeting.

Financial Services

A report was presented on the meeting to develop the Financial Services Studies syllabus, timeline for its implementation and outline for each Unit. SUBSEC was advised that the new syllabus was developed in response to changing regional and global needs. The assessment of the syllabus would follow a similar format to other CAPE syllabuses, that is, Paper 01 would be in the form of multiple choice, Paper 02 essay type questions and a School-Based Assessment (SBA) component in the form of a research task.

The syllabus will be available for teaching in September 2016 and first examination in May/June 2017.

Green Engineering

The report on the meeting to develop the Green Engineering syllabus was presented to the committee. The two Units of the syllabus are: Unit 1 – Introduction to Green Engineering, and Unit 2 – Application of Green Engineering Principles. The SBA component of each unit would be as follows:  Unit 1 – report based on an industry or infrastructure in the student’s territory with a focus on sustainability issues with recommendations for improvement; Unit 2: Design Project in the form of a written design report and working model of a product designed to solve a recognized problem.

SUBSEC approved the syllabus and specimen papers for teaching in September 2016 with first examination in May/June 2017.

CSEC Agricultural Science

SUBSEC received a report on the revised Agricultural Science syllabus and approved the revised syllabus. The syllabus would be effective September 2016 with first examination in May/June 2018.