NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamians students wishing to pursue studies abroad will now be able to do so as the moratorium on international scholarships has officially been lifted, according to Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd.
During a press conference at Sybil Blyden Centre, Stapledon School, on Friday, Lloyd said students have until March 31 to apply.
The minister also discussed plans for the national exams, which are scheduled to begin on April 13.
“My ministry has lifted the moratorium on international scholarships,” he said. “Our Bahamian students can now apply for scholarships to study internationally.
“Obviously, we must use all means necessary to ensure that the selection process is fair and equitable. The BGCSE results will allow us to do just that, so that our selection will reflect us having chosen the most qualified applicants to receive scholarships such as the All Bahamas Merit Scholarship to study internationally.”
Lloyd said the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have touched every country, not only The Bahamas. Consequently, educational systems worldwide have had to make adjustments.
He noted that universities in the United States had made some allowances, such as foregoing the need for SAT exams for the 2020 school calendar. However, he explained that all indications point to the reimplementation of those admission processes.
As a result, Lloyd said, it has become even more important for students wishing to pursue tertiary education abroad to sit national exams in addition to exams required by other countries, namely the United States and Canada.
“The educational and instructional challenges we have encountered in The Bahamas, imposed by COVID-19, are not unique to this country,” said Lloyd. “It bears repeating that this pandemic is a global one, disrupting every educational system on earth.
“None of us alive today have ever seen anything like it. Every school system in all countries had had to forge new courses of action because of COVID, particularly when it came to their university or college admissions process.
“Their answer was to make it optional for students to submit standardized test scores. In the United States of America and Canada, where the majority of our students often matriculate, it was reported that there was a significant increase in university applicants and this was attributed to the fact that popular college admissions exams such as SAT and ACT scores were not required, due to the pandemic.”
Those necessary entry requirements are also being adhered to by the University of the Bahamas for 2021 admissions.
Lloyd continued: “Our own University of The Bahamas also relaxed its 2020 standard admission requirements… However, this year, and beyond, the university has now reverted to its initial position of requesting the BGCSE national exam results.
“Additionally, the BGCSE examination is considered to be a uniform assessment taken by all students exiting high school in The Bahamas, and there is no guarantee that the international institutions will continue to make it optional for our students to submit them, in order to gain entry.”
The minister said that as of Friday, March 12, 2021, 5,087 candidates were registered for the BGCSE and 9,382 candidates were registered for the BJC.
He added that when the Examination and Assessment Division developed the examination schedules/timetables, several factors were considered, including markers being able to mark the exams and subsequently provide results for students wishing to pursue tertiary education here and abroad. Additionally, having the results ready in time so that students would have sufficient time to qualify and apply for scholarships.
Other factors included giving students sufficient instructional time and giving markers, who are practicing teachers, time to take a needed break.
