Daryll Matthew, Minister of Education, Sports, and the Creative Industries
The Ministry of Education, Sports and Creative Industries has clarified the process for the payment and refund of Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) fees, following the government’s decision to fully cover examination costs for the May/June 2026 sitting.
Under the new policy, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will assume responsibility for all CXC examination fees for in-school candidates sitting the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC), the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) during the May/June 2026 examination cycle.
As a result of this directive, the Ministry has confirmed that all monies already collected from students or their parents and guardians for the May/June 2026 examinations will be refunded in full, with immediate effect.
In a public advisory, the Ministry explained that CXC fees already paid into the Ministry of Education’s Examination Account will be returned to the respective schools. Parents and guardians will then receive their refunds directly through the schools, which will be responsible for processing and issuing the payments.
The Ministry has also instructed that no further CXC examination fees are to be deposited into the Ministry of Education External Examination Fees Account at ACB Caribbean for the May/June 2026 examinations. Parents and guardians are further advised not to make any additional payments to schools or other institutions for these exams.
The Ministry of Education said it anticipates the full cooperation of schools, parents, and other stakeholders as it moves to implement what it described as an important national initiative aimed at easing the financial burden on families and ensuring equal access to examinations for all eligible students.
This is one of the most meaningful decisions this government has made for families. CXC fees are a heavy burden, especially for households with multiple children. Well done.
Education is a right, not a privilege. This move brings us closer to living up to that principle.
How are parents/ guardian gonna be aware when the process began, should we randomly go to the school or the school is gonna take responsibility to notify parents when to collect or will it be done in alphabetical order?
I’m sure a lot of parents are happy to get that money back in front this Christmas season
Let me clarify again, does my child get a refund for what I paid earlier this year? She sat her exams in 2025 May/June cycle.
So, instead of doing it themselves, Daryl Matthew is putting the bite on the schools. Parents will be going back and forth onto the school compound that are already short handed with security issues.
What a set of incompetent, dunce clowns we have running the affairs of this country! There has to be a better way, but they’re obviously unprepared for this. Can these idiots ever get anything right?
Look, the idea is a good thing, but we’re always like we have to beg these clowns. Come on man. Think this through and come up with a better plan.
Refunds should go to parents who actually need the help, the ones on record as struggling not those who can comfortably stand on their own after paying. A fairer approach would be a payment agreement with CXC, where government covers part of the cost and parents pay the remainder. Freeness always comes with a price. This move feels rushed and politically motivated, especially with elections on the horizon, rather than properly thought through policy.
Welcome this.