If not English, economics may be forte of secondary students

While the current crop of 16-year-olds might not have earned plaudits for their command of the English language, or for recalling major historical events, their knowledge on the economy might be second to none. A report on the performance of students sitting for last May’s Secondary Education Certificate exam (O-level) in economics has revealed a very good grasp of basic economic concepts among an overwhelming number of candidates. From issues like government expenditure, budget deficit and the downward trend in crude oil prices, students demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the subject earning praise from the examiners. As a matter of fact, almost three of every four candidates (73 per cent) obtained a pass mark, with a total of 278 students sitting for the exam, which tested their knowledge both from a domestic as well as a global perspective. In their remarks, examiners pointed out how a good number of candidates were able to expose the various factors behind the recent drop in oil prices. These included failure by producing countries (Opec) to intervene and stabilise an over-supplied market and their attempt to flood the market thus exerting pressure on shale oil producers...