Antigua’s education infrastructure has undergone a significant $5.4 million transformation during the summer of 2025, with comprehensive repairs and upgrades completed across nearly all schools on the island. Education Minister Daryll Matthew revealed these developments during the recent Budget Debate, highlighting the government’s strategic approach to enhancing learning environments while minimizing disruption to academic calendars.
The extensive summer initiative, executed quietly over a three-month period, brought substantial improvements to educational facilities without attracting public attention. Students returned to find newly constructed classroom blocks, modernized bathroom facilities, refurbished learning spaces, and updated furniture across multiple institutions. Minister Matthew emphasized the discreet nature of these enhancements, noting that many improvements were discovered by students and faculty upon their return.
Looking ahead to 2026, the government has announced an ambitious second phase of infrastructure development targeting four specific institutions: Antigua Girls’ High School, All Saints Secondary School, Sir Novelle Richards Academy, and Golden Grove Primary School. This upcoming project will be implemented through a strategic partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank, focusing on addressing critical capacity challenges and facility limitations.
Golden Grove Primary School, identified by Minister Matthew as “the most overcrowded primary school in Antigua and Barbuda,” represents a particular priority in the forthcoming development phase. The comprehensive upgrade program will include construction of new classrooms, extensive refurbishment of existing facilities, and modernization of specialized learning spaces including information technology laboratories, home economics facilities, and bathroom infrastructure.
The government’s multi-phase infrastructure program demonstrates a deliberate strategy to improve learning conditions while systematically addressing long-standing capacity constraints within the education system. This approach combines immediate, widespread improvements with targeted, large-scale developments to create sustainable educational environments that support academic excellence across Antigua.