Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Science and Technology the Hon. I. Chester Cooper said that overall the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) pass rate increased; Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) results improved in 11 of the 13 subjects; and more students earned five or more C grades than last year.

“But mathematics remains a hard truth. Only one in three students who sat BGCSE mathematics passed. I will not dress that up. It is not good enough, and this is an area that demands urgent improvement,” the DPM said during a National Address on the Revolution in Education on Sunday, August 30, 2026.

He said, “But let me also be clear about something else: we will not place the blame at the feet of the child. The child sat the examination; the system belongs to us, and the system is ours to fix.”

The DPM explained that the Ministry’s review has already begun to identify some of the challenges, including mathematics anxiety among students and teachers and the need for stronger support for the educators responsible for teaching the subject.

“By the end of September, we will provide a fuller report on this work and the interventions that will follow. Acknowledging a problem is not enough; we must act with urgency.”

He said in the year ahead, literacy remains the Ministry’s first priority.  “Every Bahamian child must be able to read with confidence, comprehension and understanding.”

The DPM added that numeracy must stand alongside it because the modern world demands reasoning, analysis and problem-solving.

“We will continue modernising the curriculum and strengthening technical and vocational education. We will also build toward new diploma pathways for 2027; academic, vocational and special education pathways; because success cannot have only one definition. Every child deserves a meaningful route to the finish line, and every child deserves to cross that finish line with dignity.”

Special Education  

He said the government must also deepen its commitment to special education. “This is an area where we have made progress, but where we know we must do more—and we will.”

The DPM said inclusion cannot simply be something that is said. “It must be reflected in our budgets, our classrooms, our facilities and our resources. It means more specialist support, better teacher training, earlier identification and intervention, appropriate facilities and meaningful opportunities for every child to learn, develop and thrive.”

He said, “To the parents and families of children with special educational needs, I want you to hear me tonight: you are not alone. Your children matter. Their potential matters. Their future matters. They must have a meaningful place in the future we are building because excellence and inclusion must always go hand in hand.”

By Llonella Gilbert/Bahamas Information Services

The post DPM: Mathematics is an Area that Demands Urgent Improvement appeared first on ZNS BAHAMAS.