分类： education

Amidst an ongoing national debate over whether private primary schools in Barbados consistently outperform public institutions, educators from one standout public school are drawing a clear line: unfair contextual comparisons do a disservice to both sectors, and student success grows from a mix of engaged parent participation, dedicated educator work and accessible resources.

The conversation reignited earlier this month after the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) formally requested the Ministry of Education Transformation to release data explaining why private schools posted seemingly stronger results in this year’s Common Entrance Examination. Just days after that call, faculty and staff at St Philip’s Hilda Skeene Primary School celebrated their students’ exceptional performance during a graduation ceremony hosted at The Crane Resort, where they pushed back against direct cross-sector comparisons.

Hilda Skeene Primary’s 2024 exam results tell a compelling story: student Josiah Gibson secured second place across the entire island, earning a perfect 100% score in Mathematics, while several other classmates hit scores in the 90th percentile. For Kara Allsopp, a Class Four teacher at the school, these achievements are more than just individual wins—they prove public school students can compete at the highest academic level when schools and families collaborate effectively.

“Once parents get involved, we have public school students that can perform just as well, if not better, than their peers in private schools,” Allsopp explained during the ceremony. She attributed this year’s success to consistent family buy-in: parents prioritized their children’s learning, committed to extra support, and even arranged for students to attend extra study sessions on school holidays. The real driver of strong outcomes, she added, is not institutional status but intrinsic motivation. “We worked for months toward these exams. The children gave up their free time on bank holidays to come in and practice. That motivation is the actual secret to success. My job as an educator is first and foremost to spark that desire to do well—once that clicks, students will rise to the challenge.”

Principal Wayne Bryan echoed Allsopp’s rejection of direct public-private comparisons, noting the two sectors operate under fundamentally different conditions that make head-to-head ranking meaningless. “Comparing public schools to private schools is comparing apples to oranges,” Bryan said. “There are dozens of variables that shape how each sector operates, from the student populations they serve to how they are managed and staffed. They both provide a core public good, but they operate in totally separate contexts.”

Even as he celebrated his students’ wins, Bryan did not shy away from naming the persistent structural challenges holding many public schools back: limited funding and a widespread lack of adequate material, human and financial resources. “You can have the highest goals and biggest dreams for your students, but without the right resources, reaching those goals becomes far harder,” he noted. For many public school principals, the burden of funding gaps pulls focus away from core educational leadership: Bryan himself spends significant time lobbying private sector partners and organizing parent-led fundraising campaigns to cover gaps in public funding.

Looking ahead, Bryan called for broader cross-sector collaboration to lift public education outcomes across the country, arguing that private sector investment in public schools is an investment in Barbados’ future workforce. “The next generation of employees, leaders and innovators for Barbados’ private businesses come from our public schools. If business leaders want a strong workforce down the line, they need to invest today. Improving public education is not a job for one group—it takes all of us working together to deliver the outcomes our children deserve.”

Eleven-year-old Jeremi Wright, a graduating student from St Cyprian’s Boys’ School, has closed out his primary education on a historic high note, securing a perfect score in mathematics and an acceptance to his first-choice institution: Harrison College.

The young achiever received his Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination results this Monday, and he said he could not contain his joy when he saw he had claimed a place at the campus he had set his sights on months earlier. “I felt excited that I would be going to my first choice,” Jeremi shared.

As a Class Four student who spent months gearing up for the high-stakes entrance exam, he entered the test center feeling grounded and prepared. Months of consistent practice, including nearly daily practice exams, left him confident that the official test would feel familiar. “I was confident knowing that I did exams almost every day that it would basically be the same thing,” he explained. Beyond his regular school coursework, Jeremi also committed to two extra tutoring sessions each week – a commitment he admitted was not always easy, since “I wanted to stay home, though.”

His mother, Shamelia Wright, says she never felt overwhelming stress during Jeremi’s exam preparation period, because her son has always been a consistently dedicated learner. “It was not nerve-wracking or anything like that. He is generally a good student,” she noted. Shamelia credited St Cyprian’s structured preparation program and frequent regular testing, particularly in mathematics, as key contributors to her son’s standout performance.

Even as he prioritized exam preparation, Jeremi never stepped back from his extracurricular passion: badminton. He remained an active member of both the Attackk Badminton Club and the country’s national youth badminton team. When asked how Jeremi managed to balance the heavy academic load and his sports commitments, Shamelia explained the family’s simple, effective rule: “Homework first, sports after.”

The perfect mathematics score came as an unexpected, joyful surprise for the entire family. “I was happy because I was happy for him. He got to the school he wanted to go to. He’s going to Harrison College,” Shamelia said. “I was shocked because he got 100 in math.”

A pre-examination campus tour of Harrison College played a key role in solidifying Jeremi’s desire to attend the institution. When asked about the visit, Jeremi said the sheer scale of the campus left a lasting positive impression: “I was surprised at the size.” That visit confirmed for the young student that Harrison College was where he wanted to continue his education, a feeling he shared clearly with his mother.

Jeremi’s father, Jared Wright, shares his wife’s pride in his son’s achievement, but he is quick to emphasize that all credit belongs to Jeremi himself. “I can’t take any of the credit from Jeremi,” Jared said. “He’s a child that knows what he wants and is willing to put in the work to go after what he wants. My job was just really in helping him remember who he was and what he was capable of.” While the 11-year-old’s perfect score was a surprise, Jared says the strong result was not out of line with what he knows his son can achieve. “I wasn’t surprised. I was very, very happy,” he said. “I know what my son is capable of.” The family celebrated the milestone with a special dinner at Jeremi’s favorite restaurant.

At St Cyprian’s Boys’ School, deputy principal and Jeremi’s Class Four teacher Kevin Hurdle said school staff went into results day quietly confident that this cohort of students would deliver strong performance. “We were quietly confident that our boys would perform at a high level,” Hurdle shared. “Not only were they well prepared, this particular year group was one that has been monitored for a number of years producing a very high standard of results.”

Hurdle explained that the school uses a tailored, multi-tiered preparation strategy for the entrance examination, blending traditional instruction methods with modern multimedia resources and engaging learning activities designed specifically to meet the learning needs of boys. He said the staff was overjoyed by the results, particularly Jeremi’s historic achievement. “I was elated,” he said. “Very proud to be part of the process whereby these boys can begin to show the potential that they have academically.”

Hurdle also highlighted that most students in Jeremi’s graduating class balanced their academic preparation with participation in school sports teams. This ability to juggle multiple commitments, he said, is a promising sign for the students’ long-term success. “The fact that our boys could show that they could balance these things along with their academics, I think, bodes very well for the future,” he added.

As Jeremi prepares to start classes at Harrison College in the upcoming academic year, his parents are sharing guidance with other families who will soon navigate the entrance examination process, urging caregivers to prioritize encouragement over high pressure. “Do not pressure the children,” Shamelia advised. “They will do what they need to do. Just encourage them.”

J echoed his wife’s perspective, encouraging parents to trust their children’s abilities. “Remember who your children are and help them remember who they are and what they’re capable of,” he said. “Children are resilient. They’re amazing, and they have capabilities beyond what we often give them credit for.”

Jamaica’s prestigious Norman Manley Law School (NMLS) has kicked off an ambitious five-year J$55 million (equivalent to roughly US$348,834) alumni giving campaign, marking a major milestone in the institution’s strategy to deepen graduate engagement and expand student support systems. On the night of the campaign’s official launch, the initiative already locked in more than J$3 million (US$19,027) in pledged donations, demonstrating early enthusiasm among NMLS graduates for the effort.

Unlike traditional institutional fundraising campaigns, this effort is being piloted exclusively through the NMLS Class of 1997, with prominent alumnus Christopher Townsend stepping into the role of Cohort Ambassador to lead the pilot phase. The eight-week pilot campaign sets multiple interconnected goals, centered on expanding access to scholarships, growing student success programs, building out formal mentorship frameworks, boosting student and graduate professional development opportunities, and driving long-term institutional growth.

Organizers note that the campaign is not limited to financial contributions alone: NMLS is actively encouraging all participating alumni to contribute non-monetary support as well, including sharing professional expertise, opening access to their industry networks, and volunteering time to mentor current students and support school programming.

In a statement at the launch, NMLS Principal Dr. Christopher Malcolm emphasized that the campaign is far more than a fundraising drive: it is a core component of the institution’s broader strategy to rebuild and strengthen the bond between the law school and its thousands of graduates across the globe. “This campaign, which forms part of a broader strategic approach to alumni engagement, provides an important opportunity to strengthen the School’s relationship with its graduates while creating new avenues of support for our students and the continued development of our institution,” Malcolm said.

Townsend framed the Class of 1997’s role as a trailblazing one for future cohorts to follow. “The Class of 1997 is proud to serve as the arrowhead for this campaign,” he said. “We are excited to set a precedent that other graduating classes can build on for years to come.”

For current students relying on institutional aid, the expanded support made possible by the campaign fills a critical gap. Emily Williams, a current NMLS student and existing scholarship recipient, shared how targeted alumni support transforms the student experience. “Scholarships ease more than financial pressure. They create space for students to focus on their studies, participate more fully in the life of the School and pursue opportunities that contribute to their growth and development,” Williams explained.

Moving forward, NMLS leadership plans to use data and insights from this Class of 1997 pilot to refine the model, with the long-term goal of rolling out cohort-based alumni engagement campaigns across all graduating classes. The pilot is designed to test what structures encourage graduates to reconnect with their alma mater and contribute to the next generation of Jamaican legal professionals, laying the groundwork for a sustainable culture of giving at the institution.

Barbados’ Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council has announced a major upgrade to the long-running Preparing Today for Tomorrow’s Challenges, Transforming Children’s Lives (PTFTC-TCL) initiative, announcing that all new participants enrolling in the programme starting this September will earn formal certification recognized under Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) regional standards. The announcement was made by Akil Thompson, the TVET Council’s technical officer for programme development, during the programme’s 10th anniversary recognition ceremony held at Sandals Royal Barbados, where Thompson addressed more than 300 attending students.

Prior to this policy shift, programme completers only received a general certificate of participation. Under the updated framework, all new enrollees will complete formal competency assessments aligned with both national and regional occupational and employability standards, in addition to building structured professional portfolios to document their learning, skill growth and ongoing professional development. Thompson emphasized that this alignment transforms the soft skills students gain in the programme — including personal branding, business etiquette and interpersonal communication — into a tangible, resume-ready credential that holds formal recognition across the Caribbean region.

CVQs are standardized credentials validated by the CARICOM regional bloc, designed to confirm that candidates demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to meet established regional occupational standards. One of the key benefits of regional CVQ recognition is its role in facilitating the free movement of skilled labor across CARICOM member states. Thompson explained that workers holding a valid CVQ can cut through much of the bureaucratic red tape and regulatory barriers that often slow professional relocation when pursuing job opportunities in other Caribbean countries.

The new certification falls under the TVET Council’s Core Skills qualification framework, which outlines six foundational competencies split into core and wider skill categories. The three core competencies include communication, application of numerical concepts, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy. The three wider, transferable competencies are problem-solving, collaborative teamwork, and ongoing self-directed knowledge and skill development. Under the new framework, PTFTC-TCL participants will earn certification for specific competency levels: working with others at Levels 2 and 3, communication at Levels 1 and 2, and problem-solving at Levels 1 and 2.

Thompson noted that while the TVET sector commonly labels these foundational competencies as “employability skills,” their value extends far beyond helping graduates secure jobs. “These are skills for life,” he stated, underlining that the updated programme will not only boost participants’ employment prospects but also equip them with long-term tools for personal and professional success across all areas of life. The TVET Council has collaborated closely with PTFTC-TCL programme coordinators throughout the upgrade process to bring the initiative in line with regional standards, marking a significant milestone in the programme’s 10-year history of transforming children’s and young people’s outcomes in Barbados.

Barbados is making a landmark push to integrate creative arts into its national secondary education framework, launching an ambitious new initiative that aims to carve out formal, globally connected career pathways for young people in the international entertainment industry. The programme was officially unveiled this week by Minister of Education Transformation Chad Blackman alongside beloved soca legend Alison Hinds, who brought together local creative communities to back the effort. The initiative marks a radical reimagining of the island nation’s education system, aligned with its bold goal to become a global leader in academic innovation within the next six years.

Barbados is facing a growing crisis in primary education, after newly released results from the national Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination revealed a dramatic drop in English performance alongside persistent gaps in literacy and numeracy skills. Leading literacy specialist Shawntelle Morgan, founder of the educational consultancy I-Teach Transformative Knowledge Solutions Ltd, is sounding the alarm that the current state of young learners’ grammar and reading comprehension falls far short of acceptable standards, with long-term consequences for students moving into secondary education.

Official data shows the national average English score tumbled from 72.5 in 2025 to 64.2 in this year’s examination. While Acting Chief Education Officer Julia Beckles framed overall results as broadly aligned with trends from recent years, she did confirm longstanding concerns around students’ core competencies: mastery of grammar and vocabulary, reading comprehension, and the ability to apply learned mathematical concepts to new problems.

Morgan pushed back against framing the results as a status quo that can be accepted, telling local outlet Barbados TODAY that the declining scores demand far more aggressive action to close persistent learning gaps. She singled out deficits in expository text comprehension as a particularly pressing threat to secondary school success, noting that this type of informational writing forms the backbone of the secondary curriculum across all subjects. Students who struggle to parse expository text will face steep, avoidable barriers to learning as they advance, she explained.

The literacy expert emphasized that gaps in foundational literacy identified at the primary level do not disappear when students transition to higher grades — they follow learners into secondary school and undermine their ability to engage with new, more advanced content. Instead of students shifting from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” as expected, many arrive at secondary school still needing to fill gaps in core foundational skills. Even high-performing overall students are not immune, Morgan added: while they may have solid general literacy skills, they often lack the disciplinary literacy specific to individual high school subjects, which demands more complex analytical reading skills.

Morgan argues that the 2025 exam results should push educators and national policymakers to conduct a root-cause review of existing literacy initiatives. She questioned whether current programs are actually delivering meaningful improvements, or merely covering up deeper systemic flaws in the education system. “If we look at the data and see that we are regressing somewhat, then we have to ask ourselves why, and how do we pivot from where we currently are,” she said.

While Morgan acknowledged that significant public and private investment has already gone into expanding literacy programs across Barbados, she said a one-size-fits-all approach is not working. Instead, the education system needs a more individualized model that assesses each learner’s unique gaps and adjusts instruction to meet those needs, she argued, noting that “you cannot build on a weak foundation.” She also called for a shift away from social promotion — moving students to the next grade simply based on age, rather than mastery of core skills — to ensure all learners have a solid foundational base before advancing.

To address the crisis before the next academic year begins, Morgan is calling for a coordinated national response that brings together Ministry of Education officials, primary and secondary school teachers, and school administrators for targeted consultation. She stressed that incremental, short-term fixes such as summer intervention programs followed by a return to traditional outdated teaching methods are not enough to reverse current trends. “It cannot be business as usual,” she said.

Among the key changes Morgan is pushing for: universal comprehensive diagnostic assessments to map learning gaps early, increased targeted funding for schools serving vulnerable student populations, and expanded learning resources to support students as the education system shifts toward more project-based learning models. Morgan emphasized that all preparations and resourcing must be completed before the new school year opens, saying meaningful change requires intentional pre-term planning to set students up for success.

The 2026 annual graduation ceremony of Cuthbert Moore Primary School, held at Massiah House in St John, Barbados, closed out a transformative academic year defined by standout academic performance, intentional character growth, and a packed schedule of enriching co-curricular activities. New principal Andrew Haynes, who took over leadership mid-transition this year, used his address to the graduating class, families, and staff to highlight both the school’s impressive Common Entrance Examination results and its unwavering commitment to nurturing well-rounded, morally grounded young people. The 2025-2026 academic year launched on September 8, 2025, with a total enrollment of 159 students – 95 boys and 64 girls – supported by a team of 22 certified academic educators and 11 ancillary staff members. The year brought a key leadership shift, as former administrator Karen Sealy-Cox transferred to Ellerton Primary School, clearing the way for Haynes to step into the principal role.

Speaking to the core mission of the St George-based school, Haynes emphasized that while academic excellence across all disciplines is a point of institutional pride, the school’s ultimate priority lies in character development. “The greatest value is developing each student into a human who can face the world and overcome obstacles with moral force,” Haynes told the gathering. “Thus, we aim to develop integrated, functional, contributing boys and girls imbued with tough moral fibre.”

This commitment to academic growth, aligned with the Ministry of Education’s national Transformation programme, yielded strong outcomes in this year’s Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE), the nation’s common entrance test for secondary school placement. All 22 graduating students sat the exam, posting a mean score of 63.6 per cent in language arts and 67.6 per cent in mathematics. Two students stood out for exceptional individual performance: La’Wayne Arthur earned a 95 per cent score to claim the school’s top mathematics mark, while Najahri Neblett secured an 82 per cent in English alongside a Grade A distinction for the essay component. All graduating students earned placements at leading secondary schools across Barbados, including Alleyne School, St George Secondary, Combermere School, and Alexandra School.

“These placements are a testament to the hard work and perseverance demonstrated by our students,” Haynes said, extending warm congratulations to graduates and their families, and thanking the teaching staff for their constant guidance and dedication. Beyond the classroom, the school prioritized holistic development through a full calendar of co-curricular, cultural, and community-focused initiatives throughout the year. Students took part in national Republic and Independence Month celebrations centered on the theme “All Things Bajan”, completed financial literacy training through the national FLITE programme, and engaged in cultural programming for African Awareness Month, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. A school-wide recycling competition also drove student engagement in environmental stewardship, helping instill lifelong habits of sustainability.

One of the most memorable milestones of the year was an official visit from Barbadian President Jeffrey Bostic in May, an experience Haynes called deeply inspiring for every member of the school community. Athletic programs also saw major success: the school’s Purple Panthers house reclaimed the coveted inter-house track and field championship title, while the boys’ cricket team pulled off a dramatic last-ball victory over Shirley Chisholm Primary School. Haynes also highlighted the ongoing professional growth of his teaching team, noting that educators completed specialized training across key areas, from advanced reading comprehension instruction to integrating tablet technologies into daily lesson planning.

Looking ahead, the principal expressed sincere gratitude to the school’s many supporters, including corporate benefactors, local community organizations, and political representatives – including Toni Moore, Member of Parliament for St George North – for their generous donations and ongoing backing for campus infrastructure upgrades and school events. Reaffirming the institution’s longstanding commitment to Barbados’ youth, Haynes closed his address with a clear vision for the future. “At Cuthbert Moore Primary, we will continue to strive to improve educational outcomes for all students,” he said. “May every one of us continue to strive for excellence as we work to build the nation’s greatest resource – its children.”