Emmanuel: Who Dropped The Ball On FBE Examinations?

Leader of the Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) party Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday said the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) owes parents and students a full explanation following the eleventh-hour postponement of the Foundation Based Education (FBE) Exit Examinations."How did this happen?"

Emmanuel asked. "We’ve known the exam dates all year. These are national exams, not a last-minute school quiz. The Ministry had a responsibility to ensure that everything, especially something as basic as the arrival of exam materials, was in place. Instead, we now have students stressed, parents confused, and teachers adjusting, all because someone dropped the ball.

"Who is responsible for the logistics of shipping the exams to the island? When exactly were the materials expected, and when was it first known that there would be a delay? What is the Ministry’s long-term plan to build autonomy in managing the nation’s own education assessment systems?"The exams, originally scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 13, were abruptly postponed due to what the Ministry described as an “unexpected delay” in the shipment of examination materials. They are now rescheduled to begin on Thursday, May 15. Emmanuel noted that this disruption is not only a logistical failure, but also a serious psychological blow to students who had mentally and emotionally prepared for a fixed date."You cannot expect 11- and 12-year-olds to simply recalibrate their focus overnight after months of preparation," Emmanuel said. "The uncertainty created by this delay can have real consequences on performance and outcomes. These exams determine the next stage of a child’s educational path. The Ministry must treat them with the seriousness they deserve."“The public does not need a carefully worded video that says very little. The Minister must appear before the people, before Parliament, and give a proper accounting of what went wrong, who is responsible, and what has been done to ensure it never happens again.”He also questioned why, in 2025, the country is still dependent on external parties, such as Curaçao, for the production or shipping of examination materials. “Why are our exams still coming from Curaçao if that's indeed where they are coming from? Have we made no progress in developing the capacity to manage our own examination systems?