The Caribbean Examinations Council has published new learning standards for literacy and numeracy targeting the first three years of secondary school across the region, as part of efforts to improve educational outcomes and address persistent achievement gaps.

Dr. Wayne Wesley, CXC’s Registrar and CEO, unveiled the documents during a press conference in Kingston on Wednesday, describing them as key resources for regional education.

“I have here in hand two key resources, our learning standards as well for literacy and numeracy and our standards performance criteria standards for our primary exit examinations,” Dr. Wesley said. “These two documents encapsulate the standards necessary for persons to be deemed proficient in these areas.”

According to Dr. Wesley, the literacy and numeracy standards document “encapsulates a guide that provides instruction and learning processes in our secondary schools across the region targeting the first three years of school.”

Both documents are now available for public access and free download on the CXC website.