Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Principal of Excelsior High School Beverley Wilson (left) with Minister of Education Andrew Holness and Member of Parliament and former Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson at the service of thanksgiving celebrating the reinstitution of the sixth form at Excelsior High School. The function was held at the school's auditorium yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

The Government says it will pay the fees for students to sit four Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination this year but will be reviewing the payment scheme with a view of improving students' performance.

According to Minister of Education Andrew Holness the money to pay for the fees was already in this year's budget, but changes are coming. "We are going to review the payment scheme to see how we can use it as an incentive to improve performance at the CSEC level," he told The Gleaner on Saturday.

Mr. Holness did not state exactly how this would be done, but pointed to models in Barbados where students are refunded if they pass the examinations and the National Commercial Bank's (NCB) new initiative which pays for students to sit two business subjects if they maintain a certain average.

"We are going to be coming to the nation shortly with suggestions on how we can improve the value we get from the money we spend on CXC fees," he said.

The Government also pays the fee for students sitting the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), which is equivalent to GCE Advanced Level.

Mr. Holness dismissed claims that the JLP would stop paying for students to sit the examinations.

Since 2002, the former People's National Party (PNP) administration had paid the fees for students to sit CSEC mathematics, English language, Information Technology and a science subject.