KINGSTON, Jamaica, Apr 20, CMC – Education Minister Ruel Reid says students pursuing the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) will have an opportunity to earn credits for entry to certain universities in Jamaica.

Reid told students of the St Mary High School that as of September this year, he will be working with the local office of the Barbados-based Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to make this a reality.

“You will have a whole suite of subjects around your CAPE programme, which will be the equivalent to 60 college credits, so that when you complete sixth form you go into university with the credits. This means (that) you will end up completing your first degree in a much shorter time, and you will also reduce the cost of your university education,” he said.

Reid was visiting schools in the parish in response to a letter from Alicia Blake, a student who had expressed gratitude to the minister for enabling her to sit the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) while in hospital.

Reid said that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be signed with the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) to facilitate opportunities for students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) to pursue courses of study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

He said more scholarships would also be provided to students on the PATH programme but will require the government to bond them “for five years, so that we can get you back to work for us in Jamaica to build our country, so that it becomes very progressive and prosperous”.