Education leaders are waiting for a delayed review into public school system exam results ordered by the Government after it was publicised that grades lagged behind international counterparts.

The review will analyse results spanning 13 years.

It was being conducted by Cambridge International Education, the organisation that sets the assessments covering the Cambridge Checkpoint and IGCSE marks from 2012 to 2025.

The Ministry of Education made the request after it was revealed that students at all levels taking the Cambridge Checkpoint exams and senior school students taking the IGCSE were scoring well below international averages for the same qualifications.

The ministry attributed the outcomes to the non-selective nature of Bermuda’s public school system, small cohort sizes that can create “statistical volatility” and disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also referred to a prolonged period of “leadership turnover and structural reform impacting the consistency of instructional delivery”.

After highlighting the disparity in Bermuda’s grades compared with international averages, The Royal Gazette submitted a public access to information request to the Department of Education for the system‑wide summary reports for external examination diagnostic results for the years 2018 to 2024, including any background or supplementary information provided.

The Pati request also sought system‑wide results for all other qualifications sat by Bermuda public school students for the period 2018 to 2025, including any background or supplementary information.

It was expected that the Cambridge International Education review would be complete in early April with a report to be presented by the end of that month.

However, the Gazette was told last Monday that the findings were not yet available.

Kalmar Richards, the Commissioner of Education, who is the interim information officer for the Department of Education, extended the time frame for a decision, in line with the Pati Act.

The new response date was set for May 14.

In correspondence to the Gazette, Ms Richards said: “The department is actively processing your request.

“However, in order to provide complete and accurate information, we are awaiting the report from Cambridge, which includes the system‑wide results and the associated background/supplementary information.

“This report was expected during the last week of April. However, Cambridge has advised this week that the report is still in progress.”

The Public Access to Information Act 2010 provided that a public authority can extend the time frame for a decision when compliance with the original six-week period is not reasonably practicable.

Ms Richards added: “Given that the outstanding Cambridge report is essential to providing a complete and accurate response, the department is requesting an extension of 14 days from the current deadline.”

When the review was ordered, a ministry spokeswoman said: “In keeping with the Minister of Education’s priority of improving student outcomes, completing this analysis will ensure that data released to the public is grounded in the appropriate context.

“The analysis will assist the ministry in evaluating the impact of instructional practices and in identifying patterns in students’ achievement levels over time.

“Once the review is complete, projected for early next month [April], the findings will be shared with stakeholders to ensure everyone remains well informed and engaged in the continuous improvement process.”

She said the ministry would post the analysis on www.moed.bm.