Introduction of information technology in schools in Jamaica

Abstract

This monograph describes the initiatives that enabled the introduction of computers to Jamaican primary and secondary schools. It also describes student performance on the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Information Technology (IT) examination over a period of six years. The results show that each year more candidates were entered for the Technical Proficiency level than the General Proficiency level of the examination. The monograph further shows that student performance at the General Proficiency level steadily improved over the six years, while it fluctuated at the Technical Proficiency level. It highlights the fact that the performance of Jamaican candidates improved significantly in the year CXC instituted the six-point grading system. However, most of the passes were below the Grade 1 level. The data suggests that there may be deficiencies in the education system that caused IT teachers to show a preference for teaching the Technical Proficiency syllabus. The implications of this occurrence as it relates to tertiary level training in computer science are discussed.