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The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), reeling from public outcry after a document was leaked showing it intended to suspend four subjects, including Agricultural Science (Double Award) has said it will meet education ministers to determine the way forward.

In a statement Wednesday, CXC said it was aware of the concerns being expressed by valued stakeholders, based on what it said was the “premature release of correspondence addressed to the Ministries of Education concerning syllabus suspension.”

It was recently reported that CXC was looking at scrapping four subjects, namely Agricultural Science (the double award), Mechanical Engineering Technology, Green Engineering, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

In its statement, CXC said the premature publication of its intention was “regrettable” but said it understood that the information “would have caused anxiety among key stakeholder groups.”

It therefore took the decision to meet with the Ministers of Education in the Caribbean and will provide a full update to the public, through a press release, thereafter.

CXC said it assures valued stakeholders that the requisite actions will be taken in the best interest of all.

CXC was established by member nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 1972 but now works in other countries which are not full members of CARICOM.

It provides syllabuses, examinations and certificates to children of the region.

The 16 participating countries are: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos Islands.

A 68-year-old man died on Wednesday morning and one of his relatives was injured after the car in which they were travelling collided with a truck on the Hill Foot access road, Soesdyke- Linden Highway.

Dead is Rudolph Caines, 68, of Hillfoot village, Soesdyke/Linden highway.

He was the driver of motor car, PGG 6390. Maxine Caines, 66, was also in the car at the time of the accident.

The accident occurred at about 05:15hrs at the junction of Hill Foot Public Road and Hill Foot access road, Soesdyke- Linden Highway.

Police Headquarters said the car was heading north along Hill Foot Access Road, Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

As the car approached, Hill Foot public road it was alleged that Caines failed to stop and veered into the path of the motor lorry, GAG 6169, which was travelling west along the said road.

This caused the lorry to collide with the car.

As a result of the collision, both vehicles were damaged.

Rudolph and Maxine Caines sustained serious injuries about their bodies. They were both taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where Mr Caines was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police said a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the lorry, Yogeshwar Ramnarine, 38 of Richmond Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast and no trace of alcohol was detected.

Both vehicles were lodged at the station to be examined by a licensing and certifying officer.

Caines’ body was taken to the Memorial Gardens funeral home, awaiting post-mortem examination.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hereby notifies the public that there is a development of a visible haze in the Georgetown area. The EPA’s air quality sensors in Eccles and central Georgetown have detected air quality in the ‘moderate’ range’, which is above the WHO Guidelines for good air quality. This is mainly due to an increase in particulate matter in the atmosphere and high humidity. Air quality may also be affected by the Saharan dust according to the following website: https://www.myfoxhurricane.com/saharan_dust_car.html

The EPA encourages members of the public to take precautionary measures to protect their health by limiting the time spent outdoors and to wear dust masks as practicable.

The EPA will notify the public when the air quality returns to normal and within parameter ranges. For a near real-time update on the Air Quality Index near you, visit the EPA website: https://epaguyana.org and select the ‘Your Environment’ tab and then click ‘Air Quality Data’.