JTA calls for national AI policy after CXC overhauls SBA framework

The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) is urging the Government to develop a national policy on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools. 
The push comes following the Caribbean Examinations Council’s (CXC) decision to overhaul its School-Based Assessment (SBA) framework in response to the rapid growth of generative AI.
In a statement on Friday, the association said while it recognises CXC’s responsibility to protect the integrity and international credibility of its qualifications, the changes expose broader challenges facing Jamaica’s education system.
“The concerns raised extend far beyond the administration of regional examinations,” the JTA said. “They have wider implications for Jamaica’s education system and demand an urgent national conversation about teaching, learning, assessment and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.”
CXC announced on Thursday that it would phase out the traditional SBA for most non-practical Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) subjects, replacing it with Paper 032, an assessment completed under examination conditions.
The reforms, which take effect from the 2027 academic year, are aimed at preserving the integrity of student assessments as AI tools become increasingly capable of generating essays, reports and other coursework.
The traditional SBA will be retained only for practical subjects such as Agricultural Science, Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education, Technical Drawing, and Food, Nutrition and Health, with strengthened moderation measures.
Not negotiable 
Dr Wayne Wesley, CXC registrar and chief executive officer, said the examination body’s responsibility is to ensure its qualifications remain credible.
“The integrity of our qualifications is not negotiable,” Wesley said, adding that while the SBA had served Caribbean students for nearly 50 years, CXC had to act when the existing system could no longer reliably assess students’ work.
The JTA, however, argued that the changes also reflect CXC’s failure to anticipate the speed with which AI would transform education.
“CXC appears to have been caught largely unprepared and has, to some extent, become a casualty of the very technological transformation it is now seeking to manage,” the association said, noting that concerns about AI’s impact on authorship, originality and academic integrity had been emerging for several years.
While describing the reforms as necessary, the teachers’ body warned that replacing the SBA with Paper 032 addresses only part of the problem.
“The misuse of AI is not confined to students completing SBAs. It affects homework, internal examinations, research assignments, lesson planning, tertiary education and the broader production and evaluation of knowledge,” the statement said.
“It requires a comprehensive regional strategy for AI literacy, ethical conduct and authentic assessment.”
Unequal access 
The association also raised concerns about equity, warning that unequal access to digital devices, reliable internet service, AI platforms and adequately trained teachers could widen educational disparities.
It said students should be taught not only how to use AI but also how to critically assess its output, identify inaccuracies and bias, properly acknowledge its use and avoid presenting AI-generated material as their own.
To address those issues, the JTA is calling on the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information to urgently convene teachers, school leaders, parents, students, universities, assessment specialists and technology experts to develop a national policy on AI in education.
“Schools cannot be left to navigate these complex ethical, instructional and assessment issues individually,” the association said.
Under CXC’s implementation plan, CAPE candidates in non-practical subjects will begin using Paper 032 in the May-June 2027 examinations. For CSEC, schools will have the option of administering either the traditional SBA or Paper 032 in 2027 before the new assessment becomes mandatory in 2028.
CXC Director of Operations Dr Nicole Manning said the revised model preserves extended learning while restoring confidence in the authenticity of students’ work.
“A CXC qualification means something,” Manning said. “It means something to employers, to universities, to parents, families and guardians, who have invested years of commitment and sacrifice into a child’s education.”
editorial@gleanerjm.com