Carib Scope

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  • EdTech Summit Charts Future of Belizean Classrooms

    EdTech Summit Charts Future of Belizean Classrooms

    On August 5, 2026, education leaders from every corner of Belize packed the Belize City Civic Center for the second and final day of the Ministry of Education’s National EdTech Summit, a landmark two-day gathering designed to reimagine how technology integrates into the country’s education system. Following a well-attended first day that drew hundreds of practicing teachers, the second day shifted focus to school administrators and principals, centering discussions on how institutional leadership can leverage emerging digital tools to strengthen collaboration across management teams, teaching staff, and student bodies.

    Held under the provocative theme “Teaching Hacks,” the summit reclaims a term most often associated with cybersecurity breaches to reframe it as a creative, efficiency-focused approach to education reform. Organizers broke the concept into four core focus areas: reworking time management to cut down on administrative busywork, expanding imaginative problem-solving in lesson design, rethinking physical and virtual learning spaces, and updating rigid curricula to meet modern student needs.

    Education Minister Francis Fonseca opened the day’s proceedings by emphasizing the summit’s core purpose: creating an open, collaborative space for the Ministry of Education to engage directly with educators, school leaders, and key education stakeholders to explore how technology and teaching can intersect to improve outcomes for all Belizean students.

    The event comes amid a growing global and national conversation about the need for systematic innovation across all levels of education, not just in direct classroom instruction but also in institutional planning, administrative organization, and capacity building. Participants highlighted practical use cases for emerging tools like artificial intelligence that are already shifting how teachers work. Jeanne Link, Assistant Dean at Sacred Heart Junior College, shared on-the-ground insights into AI’s impact on her campus, noting that the technology has already streamlined time-consuming tasks for faculty. “With our faculty it has been wonderful, especially in doing calculations for like key assessment analysis, in order to review a lot of information very quickly,” Link explained. “So I’ve seen it enhancing the time effectiveness of our teacher’s work. They can easily have the AI edit their work so that saves a lot of time.”

    Even as educators expressed enthusiasm for the potential of new technologies, summit speakers also centered the key barriers that still stand in the way of widespread, effective implementation. Ray Lawrence, Principal of Stann Creek Ecumenical College, pointed to the critical gap in targeted capacity building for current educators as Belize transitions to a new competency-based national curriculum. “We’re asking our current educators to deliver the national curriculum, which is a competency based curriculum now, but we have not trained them,” Lawrence noted. “And so a lot of training will be necessary because if the teachers themselves don’t know how to leverage technology then how can they teach the students how to leverage technology? So that’s one of the greatest challenges between ministry, management and teachers. The teachers have the desire to do it, but they require the capacity building and so the training is important.”

    Organizers framed the summit as more than just a discussion forum: it marks the official launch of a new era of cross-stakeholder partnership between school management, teaching staff, and technology partners, all aimed at strengthening institutional cohesion and improving learning outcomes. When fully implemented, participants agreed that thoughtful technology integration will create a more accessible, effective curriculum and a more supportive working environment for educators, with ripple effects that extend from classrooms to students’ homes and Belize’s future workforce. Local outlet News Five sent reporter Devin Sabal to cover the event, who filed this report on the ground from the Belize City Civic Center.

  • Merchants fret as ‘the bridge in Bridgetown’ closed to pedestrians

    Merchants fret as ‘the bridge in Bridgetown’ closed to pedestrians

    In the heart of Bridgetown, Barbados, a 150-year-old historic infrastructure landmark is triggering growing financial strain for local retailers and food service operators, multiple business proprietors have confirmed to local outlet Barbados TODAY. The structure in question is Chamberlain Bridge, better known to locals as the Swing Bridge – a key pedestrian link connecting the lower Careenage district to Bridgetown’s southern commercial hub, currently managed by state-owned Barbados Port Inc. (BPI).

    In a recent operational shift that has upended daily movement across the city center, BPI has implemented a fixed schedule that closes the bridge to foot traffic for extended blocks throughout the day, with no set end date for the new restrictions. Notices posted at both ends of the converted lift bridge outline the staggered operating routine: the bridge is raised for marine traffic between 5 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Pedestrians are only permitted to cross during three windows: 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day.

    For business owners along Lower Bay Street, the restricted access has already translated to a measurable drop in foot traffic and revenue, with the midday lunch rush hit hardest. Many regular patrons who travel from the other side of the Careenage for midday meals and errands are opting to stay away rather than take the long detour around the waterway, owners report. “Some people across town who come over the bridge for lunch complain that walking all the way around is too much,” shared one local restaurant owner. “It is definitely affecting my business.” The proprietor added that office and bank workers from nearby districts – once a consistent core customer base – are among those skipping the trip entirely.

    Navin, operator of Bhairav Variety Store, echoed those frustrations, noting that inconsistent adherence to the published schedule has made the problem even worse. “I am losing business and people who depend on me are inconvenienced,” he said. “The bridge says it is open at a certain time, but when you get there, it is not open. It has happened many times.” That unpredictability, he explained, has deterred even committed regulars from attempting to cross. “When people go there expecting it to open and it does not, they have to walk all the way around. That is not how business works. They need to organise it better so that when they say it will open, it opens.”

    Reactions from everyday pedestrians to the new schedule have been split, with some dismissing the disruption as a minor hassle and others describing it as a major break from daily routine. A Jamaican visitor to the island said the unexpected closure extended her travel plans during a recent trip, calling the change “an inconvenience.” For daily commuter Astor Whitehall, however, the longer walk is no cause for complaint: “It doesn’t matter to me — the exercise is good,” he said.

    Another regular user acknowledged that the operational change may serve a practical purpose, but argued that the impact on ordinary Bridgetown residents has been underplayed. “For the most part, it will be an inconvenience for ordinary people,” he said. Samantha Yearwood, who crosses the bridge every day for work, said the new rules have completely upended her commute. “It is an inconvenience because I now have to go around the other side to get to work,” she explained.

    Elderly pedestrian Frederick Young struck a more conciliatory tone, noting that the restrictions could be justified if they address critical infrastructure needs. “If there is a good reason, I don’t see anything wrong with the time limits,” he said.

    As of press time, senior BPI officials have not responded to requests for comment on the new schedule or the concerns raised by local business owners.

    Chamberlain Bridge carries deep historical roots for Bridgetown – the city takes its name from the original Indian Bridge that stood on the same site, with the current structure constructed between 1865 and 1867. For more than a century, it accommodated both vehicles and pedestrians, with operators manually swinging the span open to allow schooners to access the Inner Basin. Small fishing vessels could even pass beneath the closed span when mooring in the basin. By the 1990s, age and wear left the original swing mechanism unreliable, with engineers warning that the bridge could get stuck open if activated. It was closed to vehicle traffic for years, before undergoing a conversion to a lift bridge in 2006 that preserved its function as a key pedestrian crossing.

  • KTV Week Five Brings Latin Flair to the Stage

    KTV Week Five Brings Latin Flair to the Stage

    On Tuesday night, the hit singing competition series KTV The Remix returned to the iconic Bliss entertainment venue for its fifth week of competition, bringing a vibrant wave of Latin cultural flair to the stage that reignited audience excitement. With the competition moving past its initial qualifying rounds, this week marked a major turning point for the series, introducing the season’s first ever battle rounds that have upped the ante for every remaining performer. Only six contestants still remain in the running for the coveted grand prize, and each competitor took the stage Tuesday night ready to lean into the energy and passion of Latin music to win over the panel of judges and secure their spot in the next round of the contest. As the field of contestants narrows steadily and the $10,000 grand prize grows closer, every performance carries higher stakes, pushing participants to deliver their most dynamic and memorable work yet. This report is delivered by entertainment correspondent Britney Gordon, who has compiled full highlights from the hotly contested week of performances.

    This article is a direct text transcript of the outlet’s evening television newscast covering the event. For segments featuring speakers using the Kriol language, the outlet has used a standardized spelling system to transcribe their dialogue accurately. Readers can access the full video recording of the newscast via the link included in the original broadcast post.

  • Tyrone Spong wil bijdragen aan ontwikkeling Surinaamse jeugd

    Tyrone Spong wil bijdragen aan ontwikkeling Surinaamse jeugd

    Tyrone Spong, the Surinamese-Dutch decorated kickboxing and MMA world champion, has announced a commitment to leverage his decades of international experience, deep industry expertise, and global professional network to accelerate sustainable development in his home country of Suriname, with youth empowerment at the core of his new initiative. The champion made the announcement Wednesday during a courtesy meeting with Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons, where he outlined his vision for unlocking the nation’s abundant untapped athletic potential.

    Spong emphasized that organized sport serves as a transformative catalyst for the personal growth, confidence building, and long-term success of young people, but warned that current gaps in Suriname’s athletic infrastructure are holding emerging talent back. To address this barrier, he is calling for targeted public and private investment in updated sport infrastructure, accessible training facilities, and local gym spaces that create consistent opportunities for young athletes to develop their craft. “Options have to be created for these young people. We need proper facilities, training spaces, gyms – these are the foundational building blocks we have to put in place,” Spong said during the meeting.

    As a former global world champion who emerged from Suriname, Spong says he is convinced the nation holds a wealth of unrecognized athletic talent across multiple disciplines. Nurturing that talent, he argues, requires both a shift in mindset and intentional, long-term investment from stakeholders. “We have to be willing to think outside the box and work together to turn these plans into results,” he added.

    Beyond expanding sports opportunities, Spong made clear that his engagement with national development will extend far beyond the athletic sector. He plans to advocate for progress on public health, nature conservation, and environmental protection, noting that these issues are deeply interconnected to the success of youth and sport development. “Health, native flora and fauna, environmental protection – nothing is possible without a healthy society. We have to maintain balance between our communities and the natural world that sustains us,” Spong explained.

    The combat sports legend also expressed unwavering confidence in the ability of Suriname’s youth to compete and succeed on the global stage, noting that countless gifted young athletes are already waiting for the right support and opportunities to break through internationally. “I worked hard to get where I am, and I know there is so much incredible talent here in Suriname. These young people can achieve the same success I found, if not more,” he said.

    In a direct message to the nation’s youth, Spong encouraged young people to stay persistent in pursuing their goals: “Quitting is never an option. Keep pushing forward, because I was once a small boy from Suriname too.” During his talks with President Simons, the two sides discussed concrete pathways to leverage Spong’s international experience and professional connections to advance youth-focused and sports-led development initiatives across the country.

  • Antigua Nominated for Caribbean’s Best Cruise Destination at World Cruise Awards

    Antigua Nominated for Caribbean’s Best Cruise Destination at World Cruise Awards

    Two leading Caribbean cruise hubs have earned a spot of international honor, with Antigua securing a nomination for the highly-coveted Caribbean’s Best Cruise Destination 2026 title in the World Cruise Awards, an industry recognition that highlights the island’s rising reputation as a top-tier visitor hotspot in the region.

    Global Ports Holding, the operator behind the nomination announcement, also confirmed that Nassau Cruise Port in The Bahamas has joined Antigua on the shortlist for the same competitive category. In a statement accompanying the announcement, the company emphasized that these nominations are far more than just symbolic recognition: they stand as a testament to the hard work and persistent dedication of on-ground teams and regional partners, who have worked tirelessly to curate unforgettable experiences for every passenger while prioritizing long-term, sustainable growth of cruise tourism across the entire Caribbean basin.

    For Antigua specifically, the nomination comes on the heels of years of transformative investment at Antigua Cruise Port. The facility has undergone a sweeping redevelopment, with large-scale capital injections directed at three core goals: elevating the overall passenger experience from arrival to departure, bringing aging port infrastructure into line with modern global standards, and solidifying Antigua’s standing as a premier, go-to cruise stop in the Caribbean.

    Global Ports Holding has extended public gratitude to the millions of passengers, regional industry stakeholders, and long-time supporters who have maintained consistent confidence in the company’s Caribbean port network. To turn the nomination into a win, the organization is urging members of the public, travel lovers, and past visitors to cast their votes for their favorite destination. Polls for the Caribbean’s Best Cruise Destination 2026 category are officially open, and interested voters can participate by accessing the official voting portal through the link released by the company.

  • About 300 People Benefit From Prime Minister’s Vision Initiative So Far

    About 300 People Benefit From Prime Minister’s Vision Initiative So Far

    A public health program focused on expanding access to critical vision care across Antigua and Barbuda has already helped nearly 300 older adults, as government health authorities continue rolling out free screenings and prescription reading glasses to eligible residents aged 40 and above. The Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs confirmed that the initiative is currently stationed at the Villa Community Center, where services will remain available before the program relocates to the Gray’s Green Community Center to serve residents in that area. Launched in partnership with global non-profit vision care organization RestoringVision, the program centers on closing gaps in access to basic eye health services, with a specific focus on connecting adults to affordable reading glasses that many struggle to access otherwise. For every eligible participant, the process begins with a complimentary professional vision screening, which assesses individual eyesight needs before a correctly fitted pair of reading glasses is provided at no out-of-pocket cost. Health officials are actively urging all qualifying residents aged 40 and older who have not yet accessed the program to take advantage of the free services as the initiative rotates between community locations across the two islands. First launched on July 31 of this year, the Prime Minister’s Vision Initiative is scheduled to run through December 15, with pop-up service locations hosted at designated community sites across Antigua and Barbuda throughout the duration of the program.

  • Opposition senator demands work permit overhaul

    Opposition senator demands work permit overhaul

    Debate over Barbados’ labor market policies has intensified in the Senate, with opposition Senator Ryan Walters pushing for sweeping changes to the country’s work permit framework, alongside stricter enforcement of national insurance rules and progress on resolving a years-long backlog in employment dispute hearings.

    Speaking during Wednesday’s Senate consideration of the Protection of Wages Bill, Walters argued that a growing number of entry-level to mid-tier roles currently being advertised to foreign workers could and should be filled by local job seekers, especially young Barbadians entering the workforce. He pointed to recent public job postings as evidence of systemic flaws in the current regime, listing roles ranging from retail store supervisors, warehouse clerks and sales associates to cellphone device repair technicians, all of which have been advertised for foreign applicants. Even senior leadership positions within the island’s key hotel sector, he added, are frequently being opened to outside candidates ahead of qualified local workers.

    “What we are seeing in public job postings makes clear that employers are consistently looking abroad for work that Barbadians – particularly young Barbadians – are fully capable of doing,” Walters said. “This is the perfect moment for the government to overhaul our outdated work permit system. It is unacceptable that in 2026, we still see this volume of work permit applications for these skill sets and entry-level roles.”

    Walters called for fundamental changes to the approval process, arguing new guardrails need to be put in place before employers even submit applications to hire foreign workers. He proposed pre-application guidance that would clearly outline which roles are eligible for outside hiring and which must be filled by local candidates first, tightening the entire regime to prioritize Barbadian workers.

    But Leader of Government Business Senator Lisa Cummins pushed back against Walters’ criticism, noting that the current system already includes rigorous assessment protocols that do not guarantee approval for every submitted application. She explained that all work permit requests are reviewed by a dedicated government department, and both current and former home affairs ministers – under whose purview the immigration department falls – have repeatedly clarified that a high number of applications does not equal a high number of approvals.

    Cummins argued that claims tying open work permit policies to blocked job opportunities for young Barbadians are misleading and factually incorrect. “It is erroneous to claim that the government is blocking young Barbadians from employment just because work permit applications are submitted,” she said. “There has been no public accounting of how many of these applications are actually approved, and submission does not mean applications are automatically granted.”

    Beyond the work permit debate, Walters raised two additional pressing labor issues that he said demand immediate government action. First, he called for aggressive enforcement against employers that fail to register their workers with the National Insurance and Social Security Scheme. Walters explained that while unregistered workers may take home slightly more pay in the short term, they are locked out of critical long-term benefits, forcing them to rely on taxpayer-funded welfare services instead of drawing from the national insurance system they have not contributed to.

    “Every worker in this country should be contributing to National Insurance, regardless of their income level,” he said. “Weak enforcement hurts workers in the long run and shifts the burden of support to the state.”

    Walters also drew attention to a backlog of roughly 3,000 unresolved employment disputes at the Employment Rights Tribunal, saying thousands of workers have waited years for their cases to be heard. He recalled that the governing administration promised in 2024 to transition the tribunal from a part-time body to a full-time institution with dedicated staff and permanent office space, but that campaign promise has yet to be fulfilled. Walters said he is hoping to receive a public update on the tribunal’s modernization during the ongoing debate over the Protection of Wages Bill.

  • Julius Espat: “The People of Belize Own BTL”

    Julius Espat: “The People of Belize Own BTL”

    A controversial $80 million acquisition proposal by Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) to purchase local telecommunications competitor SpeedNet (SMART) has sparked growing political and public pushback across Belize, after a senior cabinet minister publicly questioned the transparency of the deal and emphasized public ownership of the telecommunications firm.

    Julius Espat, a member of Belize’s Cabinet, revealed in an exclusive interview with local outlet News Five that he and other senior government officials received no advance notice that BTL’s board would schedule a vote on the acquisition this week. The announcement of the board’s approval caught many in government off guard, amplifying concerns that the transaction has been advanced without required buy-in from all relevant stakeholders.

    When asked to share his perspective on the proposed merger, Espat made clear that he doubts the entity he says is the true owner of BTL—the Belizean public—was ever properly consulted on the transformative industry deal. In sharp, direct comments, he rejected the idea that BTL is solely the property of its current board of directors or the national government, stressing that the telecommunications giant is owned collectively by the people of Belize.

    Espat’s public criticism is the latest addition to a week of mounting opposition to the acquisition. Already, labor union leaders have staged walkout protests to decry the absence of meaningful public input on the deal, while the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry has issued a formal statement criticizing the transaction as a pre-determined outcome that was rushed through before necessary regulatory safeguards could be put in place.

    Not all government officials have publicly shared their positions on the proposal, however. Minister of Education Francis Fonseca noted that he will hold off on making any public statement until the full Cabinet receives an official, comprehensive briefing on the details of the acquisition. Notably, the weekly agenda for this week’s Cabinet meeting did not include any mention of the $80 million BTL proposal, leaving the timeline for full government review still unclear.

  • 500+ Teachers Showed Up to the Ministry’s Talks on AI in Classrooms

    500+ Teachers Showed Up to the Ministry’s Talks on AI in Classrooms

    Belize’s Ministry of Education has concluded its two-day National Edtech Summit held at the Belize City Civic Center, closing out the event August 5, 2026 with focused conversations on how emerging educational technologies can reshape collaboration between school leadership, teaching staff and students. The summit brought together hundreds of education professionals across both days, with more than 500 teachers in attendance for the opening day focused on frontline educator perspectives, and the second day reserved for school administrators to explore how digital tools can improve institutional planning, cross-team communication, and data-driven decision-making.

    Addressing attendees at the close of the summit, Minister of Education Francis Fonseca emphasized that the core goal of the gathering was to create an open, inclusive space for the ministry to engage directly with teachers, school leaders, and all other education stakeholders. The event was designed to foster thorough, meaningful dialogue around the growing intersection of modern education and rapidly advancing technology, he said.

    Framed around this year’s theme “Teaching Hacks”, the summit redefined “hacking” not as a digital security practice, but as an innovative problem-solving approach centered on boosting efficiency across four core areas: educator time, creative imagination, learning space design, and curriculum delivery.

    Multiple education leaders shared on-the-ground insights into how artificial intelligence is already shifting daily work for teachers. Jeanne Link, Assistant Dean of Sacred Heart Junior College, highlighted that AI tools are already delivering tangible relief for overstretched education staff, noting that automated AI editing and content generation can cut hours of administrative and preparatory work each week, freeing teachers to focus more energy on direct student engagement.

    Still, the summit did not shy away from addressing key gaps that remain before widespread, effective AI integration can be achieved. Ray Lawrence, Principal of Stann Creek Ecumenical College, stressed that targeted, ongoing professional development for educators is a non-negotiable foundation for successful technology adoption. Lawrence argued that without proper training to help teachers themselves build fluency in leveraging AI and other edtech tools, schools cannot reasonably expect students to develop the digital skills they need to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world.

  • Blue Teddy Bear Campaign Launches Phase II with Teacher Training Initiative

    Blue Teddy Bear Campaign Launches Phase II with Teacher Training Initiative

    Belize’s leading national child protection effort, the Blue Teddy Bear Campaign, has entered its second implementation phase on August 5, 2026, introducing a targeted teacher training initiative designed to strengthen safeguarding frameworks for children across the country’s education system.

    Moving beyond the campaign’s initial foundational work, Phase II broadens its mission to empower three key stakeholder groups – teachers, parents, and students – with evidence-based knowledge and practical tools to cultivate safer learning and living environments for minors. Unlike general awareness campaigns, this new phase prioritizes upskilling educators, who are often the first adults to spot signs of child harm in daily interactions.

    The first two training cohorts have already completed their workshops. Most recently, 60 teaching staff from three prominent Belizean institutions – Maud Williams High School, Anglican Cathedral College, and Sadie Vernon Technical High School – gathered for an in-depth skills-building session. This follows an earlier workshop that trained 22 educators from other secondary schools across Belize City, with more sessions scheduled for educators in other districts in the coming months.

    Carla Alvarez, lead consultant for the Blue Teddy Bear Campaign, outlined the core focus of the training modules in a press briefing. Participants learn to identify nuanced warning signs and indicators of all major forms of child harm, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, and neglect. To build practical proficiency rather than just theoretical knowledge, the training uses interactive case studies that mirror real scenarios educators may encounter, guiding participants to map out appropriate, timely response pathways to support vulnerable students.

    Denroy Tillett, a participating teacher from Anglican Cathedral College, emphasized that the initiative arrives at a critical moment for Belize’s education sector. He noted that broader society often overlooks the silent challenges many young people navigate in school settings. For example, some students rely on school feeding programs to meet their daily nutritional needs, others only own one full school uniform, and some miss classes repeatedly due to inability to afford transportation. Tillett explained that these visible struggles are rarely random – they are almost always outward symptoms of underlying neglect or systemic resource gaps at home that put children at greater risk of harm.

    By equipping educators with these critical identification and early intervention skills, campaign organizers aim to create a proactive layer of protection that enables school staff to reach out to at-risk students sooner, recognize subtle warning signs that might otherwise go unnoticed, and intervene effectively to connect young people with the support they need.

    The multi-phase child protection initiative is run as a sustained collaborative partnership between four key institutions: Belize’s National Commission for Families and Children (NCFC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs, and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children.