Beginning this September, new high school graduates enrolling at Lead Institute will be able to do so with just their high school transcripts. The decision forms part of a policy adjustment on enrollment for the upcoming admissions cycle at the Institute.
Traditionally, admissions decisions at Lead Institute (as is the case with other schools and colleges on the island) were made primarily on student’s official CXC results, with the minimum entry requirement being passes in five CXC subjects, including English and math.
In the wake of the COVid-19 pandemic, however, the Caribbean Examination Council has had to reschedule its May/June exams several times over the last two years. This year, students will write the May/June 2021 CSEC and CAPE Exams in June/July, and according to an official statement from the regional examination body, the official results of the exams will not be released until late September or early October 2021. That will be one full month or more after the new school year is set to begin.
CXC’s rescheduling of exams and late release of the results, is creating a nightmare for college admission. “If we are to stick with tradition and await official CSEC and CAPE results, students would have missed more than a month classes,” says David Vital, Director of Lead Institute. “This would definitely place both new and continuing students under considerable pressure to complete the curriculum to be ready for the May/June 2022 exams.
To avoid disadvantaging students during the upcoming admissions and examinations cycles, officials at Lead have decided to implement the high school transcript admission policy.
Students’ performance in upper secondary (4th and 5th forms) and mock exams are usually good and reliable indicators of how they will perform at CSEC and CAPE. Accordingly, students who have satisfied the minimum passing grade/GPA in the final year of high school, and or attain passes in five subjects including English and maths will be eligible for admissions.
However, new students admitted on the strength of their transcripts will be granted provisional admission pending the official CXC results. “If for some reason students fail to fully satisfy the minimum entry requirements, including English and maths, they will have to enroll in remedial classes”. Says vital.
Enrollment for the new 2021/2022 academic year is now open and runs from June 01 to August 27. Classes begin Monday, September 6, 2021.