TCI News
TCI: Last year for GSAT examinations and its replacement to shift the way students are tested
#Providenciales, April 15, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – When sixth grade students across the country sit the 2019 GSAT examinations this year, that will be the end of an era as the exam for this jurisdiction will become history and the new Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment or CPEA will be established as its replacement.
“This will be the last year,” said Edgar Howell, who is the Director at the Ministry of Education, who added, “…but there are still some policy decisions to be taken around how students will transition from primary into secondary school.”
That qualifying policy decision, once determined, will undoubtedly grab national headlines and that’s because the Grade Six Achievement Test or GSAT is of paramount priority for hundreds of students, their parents and their teachers when it comes to transitioning to high school. It is often a dogged competition as students are under heavy pressure, sometimes considered overly pressured to try to top the results chart.
The high stakes examination often leads to full scholarships to the best schools but more negatively, it often leads to arguments, accusations even students stressed to the point of passing out.
Director of the Minister of Education, Edgar Howell in February explained the changes as, “It is really going to be about project-based learning, students will develop portfolios, students would learn how to set an assessment paper and grade the assessment paper themselves; they would develop responsibility really for their own learning and help to direct that process.”
Mr. Howell said the Ministry is expected to see an enriched learning environment within the primary schools of the Turks and Caicos Islands; he said it will be transformative.
“It will transform what we currently know as a primary school experience and while we will focus on grades three to grade six, we expect the methodology to be used throughout the school system. That is from Infant 1 right up to grade six.”
And this new external examination for our sixth-grade students will look at their overall proficiency as a student; no longer an emphasis on whether children can regurgitate a standard curriculum.
“The Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment, CPEA, does not necessarily depend on having a grade six specific curriculum in place because the assessment is based around certain literacies that all children who are in a primary school system whether they are in Turks and Caicos or in Barbados or Cayman Islands ought to have by the time they are leaving grade six.”
Work on this transition and transformation is ongoing with the aim of subjects being ready for the new academic year in September 2019; already core subjects like Mathematics, English Language where the guidelines are developed and Social Studies and Science, are progressing.
Mr. Howell added, “Students will continue to transition into high school. We are not using CPEA to determine whether a child has passed or failed that is not going to be the way that we look at it in terms of a 50 percent or a 75 percent. Students would have mastered certain skills and based on the mastery of those skills they will transition into high school.”
In 2018, 487 students were registered for the GSAT examinations; the Ministry reported that 75.56 percent of the students sitting the tests passed into high school, which means 119 students were unsuccessful and were likely left behind.
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Turks and Caicos, October 14, 2025 – Overcrowding at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Grand Turk has reached crisis levels, taking center stage at the most recent meeting of the National Security Council (NSC).
The session, co-chaired by Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam and Premier Charles Washington Misick, heard a sobering report from the Ministry of Public Safety and Utilities on the worsening conditions at the country’s only correctional facility.
Officials revealed that HMP Grand Turk currently houses around 131 inmates in a facility built to accommodate just 104, representing an estimated 30 percent overcapacity. Structural damage from previous hurricanes and years of wear have further reduced usable space, compounding safety and management challenges.
The Chief Magistrate’s Court and the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Office have repeatedly warned that the prison’s overcrowding could undermine rehabilitation and security efforts — and now, the NSC has declared modernization of correctional infrastructure a national priority.
The Council approved immediate-term relief measures and agreed to a comprehensive review of the prison estate, aimed at
identifying targeted infrastructure investments to meet the demands of a growing inmate population.
The NSC meeting, held on September 25, 2025, brought together the highest-level officials in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ security apparatus, including the Deputy Premier, Attorney General, Commissioner of Police, National Security Advisor, Commanding Officer of the Regiment, Director General of Border Force, and NSS Threat Lead. Also in attendance were the Hon. Minister and Permanent Secretary of Public Safety and Utilities, alongside the Superintendent of the Department of Correctional Services, who presented the update on the prison’s capacity challenges and operational concerns.
Multi-Agency Coordination and Maritime Security
Beyond the correctional system, members were also briefed by the Unified Command on ongoing multi-agency security operations, including efforts to strengthen cooperation among law enforcement and border protection entities.
Discussions also turned to the legal framework underpinning joint operations, with members emphasizing the need for coherent inter-agency coordination in tackling transnational threats, particularly those related to illicit migration and maritime crime.
The Commanding Officer of the Turks and Caicos Regiment presented plans for a new maritime operational base and docking facility, envisioned as a command-and-control center that would bolster the country’s ability to respond to maritime incidents, search-and-rescue operations, and natural disasters.
Liquor Licensing Reforms and Regional Summit
The Permanent Secretary for National Security briefed the Council on the review of the current liquor licensing regime, with recommendations for a full restructuring and digital redesign of the licensing process to enhance oversight and efficiency. The Council supported continued reform work on the system.
In a forward-looking development, the NSC also endorsed plans for the Northern Caribbean Security Summit, to be hosted in Turks and Caicos under the theme “Dismantling Illicit Maritime Activities Through Enhanced Cooperation.” The summit aims to convene regional and international partners to deepen collaboration in addressing shared maritime security challenges, from smuggling to illegal migration and environmental crimes.
Security at a Crossroads
Governor Daniel-Selvaratnam and Premier Misick jointly reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the country’s national security infrastructure and coordination mechanisms, describing the discussions as “critical to maintaining the safety, stability, and sovereignty of the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
With the prison operating well beyond its intended capacity, and a surge in complex maritime and border challenges, the NSC’s focus on modernization and reform signals an urgent recalibration of priorities.
As the Turks and Caicos Islands position themselves as a leader in regional cooperation on security, one message from the Council was clear: the nation must invest now — in its institutions, its infrastructure, and its resilience — to sustain safety and justice in the years ahead.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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