Pioneering Past and Bright of Impactful Research and Scholarly Achievements

“EXCELLENCE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE” P A G E 116 According to Orogun, some students in the College of Health Sciences, mostly pharmacy students with Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination level one English, appeared to be doing better than their grade one CSEC English counterparts. “Students with a grade one in CSEC were exempted from the proficiency test, which is why we see the problems way down because we had sent them straight to Academic Writing One. When they start the course, they cannot function,” Orogun said. Both Oregun and Jones-McKenzie said some students also had negative attitudes towards the English proficiency test, as they did not see the rationale for doing it when they had enrolled for technical or vocational courses. “The problem is so big and so deep that we’re going to approach it from every angle,” said Orogun, noting that the institution would be targeting the Ministry of Education, English language teachers and school principals to identify solutions.”