"The Caribbean Examinations Council was established in 1972 under Agreement by the Participating Governments in the Area to conduct such examinations as it may think appropriate and award certificates and diplomas on the results of any such examinations so conducted. The Council is empowered to regulate the conduct of any such examinations and prescribe the qualification requirements of candidates and the fees payable by them.

"Our mission is to provide the region with:

• Syllabuses of the highest quality; valid and reliable examinations and certificates of international repute for students of all ages, abilities and interests;
• Services to educational institutions in the development of syllabuses, examinations and examinations administration in the most cost-effective way."

On January 22, 2010, Sanch Electronix received an official letter of endorsement from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) for PIE. This was in direct response to a request made to the organisation. I formally presented PIE in September and December, 2009 to the CXC Registrar, Dr. Didacus Jules and his management team during meetings held at their headquarters in Barbados.

In part, the letter states “CXC is looking forward to exploring with Sanch Electronix Ltd the possibility of implementing the project in the region’s secondary schools. It is the Council’s intention to explore making PIE a part of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Music offering as well as the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ).”

As I intimated in January, a programme of systematic training for educators has been initiated in Trinidad and Tobago, with a view towards regional expansion. Upon completion, these facilitators will be able to enable the PIE curriculum. Areas covered include Business, Technical English, Music Literacy, ICT, Social Studies and Audio Engineering. It is anticipated that PIE will be offered officially as a CXC core subject, beginning next academic year, September 2010.

Simeon L. Sandiford
Managing Director