The claims largely surround the subject of Communication Studies, for which many students were “ungraded”. The NSC alleges that the circumstances surrounding the date of the Communication Studies examination were dire, leading to students not writing the exam. 

 “Our concern is rooted in the circumstances surrounding June 22-23, 2023, a period which T.S Bret wreaked havoc on St. Lucia….notably, on June 23, 2023, the scheduled date for the Paper 1 Examination for Communication Studies, a government-issued all-clear had not yet been issued,” the NSC told SNO. According to CXC’s official timetable, the exam was scheduled for 9 a.m. on the morning of June 23, 2023; the all-clear was issued by the Government of Saint Lucia at 11:42 am. On the morning of June 23rd, an advisory from the Government of Saint Lucia announced a postponement of CXC exams for that day. “Students were advised to remain within their homes, effectively preventing them from participating in the crucial exam.”

The concern of the NSC is that the grades assigned to the students “do not accurately reflect their true capabilities”. The student body is appealing to both the Ministry of Education on-island and CXC.

 “The situation at hand underscores broader questions about how educational institutions navigate and respond to unforeseen events, especially when they significantly disrupt academic progress. This is a prompt to consider the fairness and equity in evaluating students' performance amid circumstances beyond their control,” they criticized.