Carib Scope

分类： education

  • Ministry to address continuous assessment concerns Friday

    Ministry to address continuous assessment concerns Friday

    As the 2026 September school term approaches, growing anxiety among Barbadian parents over planned education reforms has prompted the Ministry of Education Transformation to schedule a major public update this Friday, laying out its adjusted path for rolling out continuous assessment and revising secondary school placement procedures.

    The upcoming announcement comes in direct response to a citizen-led petition that has gathered close to 200 signatures from concerned parents, who have pushed back against the plan to introduce continuous assessment for Class 3 students. Critics of the policy argue the proposed changes are both untested and hastily implemented, and they are demanding clear, actionable answers from senior education officials ahead of the new school year. The petition itself goes further, arguing that the rushed rollout threatens to undermine both the educational and social foundations of the island nation, noting that students deserve stable, well-planned systems to support their success, and that parental perspectives must be centered in the reform process.

    In an official statement released Sunday, the ministry confirmed it has taken note of the widespread concerns raised by parents, classroom teachers, and school principals, and announced that Minister of Education Transformation will deliver a full, comprehensive update on the reform trajectory on August 14. The upcoming briefing is expected to cover multiple core components of the ongoing education transformation, including the government’s overall approach to student assessment and curriculum design, revised protocols for secondary school placement, and plans to strengthen institutional support for individual schools across the country.

    “Through our ongoing education transformation work, we have heard clearly the concerns shared by parents, teachers and principals around the proposed launch of continuous assessment for Class 3,” the ministry said in its official statement. The department reaffirmed its conviction that the broader direction of Barbados’ current education overhaul is correct, but acknowledged that thoughtful, well-executed implementation is just as critical to the reform’s success.

    “We are also fully seized of the fact that the implementation must be right as well,” the statement added. Friday’s briefing will lay out a complete, step-by-step strategy and clear roadmap for moving forward with the reform, addressing outstanding questions from stakeholders. The ministry also emphasized its long-term commitment to improving student assessment frameworks and expanding targeted support for learners at every level of the education system, and extended gratitude to parents, educators, school leaders and other partners for their active participation in the transformation process.

  • Board of Education Announces Scholarship Recipients for 2026

    Board of Education Announces Scholarship Recipients for 2026

    In a formal announcement made public earlier this week, a regional Board of Education has officially revealed the full roster of students selected to receive its competitive academic scholarships for the 2026 academic year. The annual award program, designed to recognize outstanding academic achievement, community leadership, and extracurricular impact among high school seniors across the district, received a record-breaking number of applications this cycle, underscoring growing student interest in higher education access support.

    After a months-long rigorous review process conducted by a committee of education administrators, independent community leaders, and post-secondary education representatives, 127 students from 32 local high schools were selected for the awards. Scholarship amounts vary based on financial need, academic standing, and project impact, ranging from $2,000 one-time grants to full-tuition waivers for in-state public colleges and universities.

    Board officials emphasized that the 2026 cohort includes a diverse group of young scholars, with representation from rural school districts, low-income neighborhoods, and first-generation college applicant groups that have historically been underrepresented in higher education. Many of the selected students launched community impact initiatives, from local food security programs to youth STEM outreach projects, in addition to maintaining top academic performance during their high school careers.

    “This year’s group of recipients exemplifies the incredible talent and commitment to service that defines our district’s student body,” said Board of Education President Margaret Holloway in a statement accompanying the announcement. “These scholarships are more than just financial support; they are an investment in the future of our community, empowering young leaders to pursue their educational goals without the burden of overwhelming student debt.”

    Local education advocates have welcomed the announcement, noting that expanding access to need-based and merit scholarships plays a critical role in closing college access gaps for underrepresented students. The scholarship program, now in its 18th year, has awarded more than $12 million in financial support to over 1,800 students since its launch, with 92% of past recipients going on to complete four-year college degrees. Recipients will be honored at a formal award ceremony scheduled for May 2026, and disbursement of funds will begin ahead of the 2026 fall semester.

  • Halo donates $10,000 in scholarship funds

    Halo donates $10,000 in scholarship funds

    When a promised local scholarship failed to materialize before Amejah Nibbs’ tuition deadline, the Halo Foundation stepped in to clear a path for his higher education, awarding the aspiring student $10,000 to cover his first year of studies at GBSB Global Business School.

    The formal handover of the donation cheque was led by Her Excellency Lady Williams, the Halo Foundation’s president, who shared the context behind the emergency grant. Nibbs had already secured an acceptance to the prestigious business school, but the local institution that had pledged to cover his tuition did not disburse the funds in time to meet the program’s payment deadline, leaving his academic plans at risk of collapse.

    Lady Williams acknowledged that the foundation cannot extend financial support to every applicant that reaches out for help. Even with limited resources, she emphasized that investing in the education of young people remains one of the organization’s highest priorities. This commitment to youth development extends beyond scholarship programs, the foundation also supports a broad range of community-focused causes including agricultural training for young people, arts and cultural initiatives, public community outreach, support for disabled populations, care for elderly residents, preservation of national history and heritage, environmental protection, public health access, sports development, programs for uniformed youth groups, empowerment initiatives for women and girls, and global peace advocacy.

  • Axleigh Akez Captures Grant Thornton Accounting and Business Awards

    Axleigh Akez Captures Grant Thornton Accounting and Business Awards

    A rising young academic star from Antigua and Barbuda has cemented her reputation as one of the country’s most promising business students after claiming two prestigious honors from international accounting firm Grant Thornton. Axleigh Akez, a former standout student at Ottos Comprehensive School, was honored with the firm’s annual Accounting and Business Awards in recognition of her exceptional performance on the 2025 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

    The award presentation, held recently at Grant Thornton’s Old Parham Road office, marked another milestone in Akez’s academic journey: the young scholar already earned distinction as Ottos Comprehensive’s top-performing CSEC student for the 2025 examination cycle, and the Grant Thornton honor adds a second major accolade to her growing list of achievements. Following her outstanding CSEC results, Akez progressed to tertiary education at the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), where she is currently enrolled as a second-year student in the institution’s School of Business and Accounting.

    Grant Thornton launched its annual Accounting and Business Awards program with a clear dual mission: to celebrate exceptional academic accomplishment among secondary school students, and to nurture the next generation of professional talent by encouraging young people to pursue long-term careers in accounting and business. The awards have become a respected fixture in Antigua and Barbuda’s education landscape, creating incentives for high-achieving students to build careers in the nation’s finance and commercial sectors.

    In remarks following the presentation, Akez expressed gratitude to Jehovah God for guiding her through her studies and supporting her journey to this achievement. The young student emphasized that she remains committed to staying focused on both her ongoing academic work and her long-term professional goals, as she works toward building a career in the accounting field. Her family and close friends have joined in celebrating the milestone, reaffirming their ongoing support for Akez as she continues her tertiary education and advances toward her professional objectives.

  • Five Belizean students turn sargassum crisis into agricultural opportunity, win STEAM award

    Five Belizean students turn sargassum crisis into agricultural opportunity, win STEAM award

    What began as an unappealing summer camp commitment for five teenage girls in northern Belize has ended in national innovation recognition, delivering a creative potential solution to one of the country’s most stubborn coastal environmental issues. The team of students from Orange Walk’s Bishop Martin High School walked away with the “Best Use of STEAM” award at Belize’s national STEAM Festival, held July 18, 2026 in San Ignacio, Cayo, for their project that transforms invasive sargassum seaweed into usable agricultural fertilizer.

    The students — Linda Escalante, Ideleen Monzon, Vivian Martinez, Yasmin Minjangos, and Marceline Locario — only joined their school’s July STEAM summer camp after gentle persuasion from their mothers. After a grueling academic year, many of the teens prioritized rest over giving up their afternoons for an extra educational program, and none expected the experience to reshape their understanding of problem-solving or earn them national acclaim.

    Hosted as part of the government-backed “Skills for the Future” extracurricular initiative, the summer camp was designed to encourage young women to explore intersections of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics while tackling real local challenges. Facilitated by educator Wilson Mendoza, the program paired interactive lessons with industry engagement: professionals from ASR Group walked participants through real-world engineering applications in sugar production, while a visit to Orange Walk ITVET introduced students to how AutoCAD digital design leverages mathematical principles for modern construction.

    As the camp wrapped up, participating teams were tasked with identifying a pressing community issue and developing an innovative solution rooted in STEAM concepts. The Bishop Martin team settled on sargassum, a rapidly accumulating seaweed that plagues Belize’s coastlines, damaging tourism economies and creating unpleasant, unhealthy conditions as it decomposes on beaches. Their project, titled *The Reborn of Sargassum*, outlines a system where a purpose-built vessel would collect and compress massive volumes of sargassum directly offshore, then process the seaweed into nutrient-rich fertilizer for local farmers.

    The young innovators didn’t stop at a vague concept: they conducted rigorous research into the natural nutrients found in sargassum, documented its proven benefits for boosting crop growth and even suppressing common fungal crop diseases, and studied existing sargassum processing techniques used in neighboring Mexico to address questions around chemical treatment required to make the seaweed safe for agricultural use. Splitting tasks based on individual strengths — with members leading research, model building, and presentation preparation respectively — the team refined their proposal to compete against 30 other teams from six secondary schools across Belize at the national festival.

    Walking into the competition, the five students had little confidence in their chances of placing. But their thorough, locally focused approach impressed the panel of judges, which included education officials, business leaders, and community representatives, ultimately earning them the top honor for STEAM integration. Other winning projects came from teams across the country, including additional entries from Bishop Martin High School, Corozal Community College, and Ecumenical High School.

    The “Skills for the Future” initiative behind the camp is supported by Belize’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Global Partnership for Education, with implementation led by the Education Development Center. Its core mission is to break down barriers for girls and young women pursuing education and careers in STEAM fields, which remain disproportionately male-dominated globally and in Belize.

    For this winning team, the experience is far from over. The students now hope to advance their concept by building a functional working prototype of their sargassum processing system, but they face a key barrier: securing funding to move the project beyond the planning stage. The team has expressed hope that private sector partners will recognize the dual environmental and agricultural value of their idea and provide the financial support needed to test and scale the concept.

    Beyond the potential impact of their sargassum solution, the experience has already transformed how the five students approach new opportunities. A program they nearly rejected for a summer of rest has not only earned them national recognition but also showed them how cross-disciplinary STEAM thinking can turn long-standing local problems into tangible community benefits.

    This report was written by Ingrid Ferlo, Communications Consultant with the Education Development Center.

  • Minister of Education Thanks Outgoing Board of Sir Luther Wynter Pre-School for Years of Dedicated Service

    Minister of Education Thanks Outgoing Board of Sir Luther Wynter Pre-School for Years of Dedicated Service

    In a formal gathering held at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s headquarters, Minister Daryll S. Matthew convened the departing Board of Directors of Sir Luther Wynter Pre-School to recognize and thank the volunteer group for decades of dedicated stewardship of one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most esteemed early childhood learning institutions. The meeting also marked a key milestone in the institution’s upcoming transition into the government’s growing network of public early childhood education centers, a Cabinet-approved initiative set to move forward in June 2026.

    Established more than half a century ago by the late Dean Idris Bird, Sir Luther Wynter Pre-School has built an extraordinary reputation in regional early education. Currently serving more than 40 young learners, the school holds the distinction of being named a UNESCO model school, and it has long functioned as a hands-on teaching practicum site for early childhood education students enrolled at the University of the West Indies Global Campus.

    Minister Matthew praised the outgoing volunteer board for their unwavering diligence and commitment to the school’s mission, emphasizing that the institution’s 50-plus year legacy of nurturing young minds would not have been possible without the consistent, uncelebrated work of volunteers who gave their time freely with no expectation of public recognition or compensation.

    “On behalf of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, I want to express our sincere gratitude to this Board for its years of dedicated service,” Matthew stated during the meeting. “What you have built here — a nurturing, high-quality foundation for our youngest citizens — does not happen by accident. It happens because people choose, year after year, to show up for children who are not their own. As we transition Sir Luther Wynter into our expanded early childhood network, we do so committed to preserving everything that makes this institution special, and building on it.”

    The transition of the iconic pre-school is part of a broader national strategy to position early childhood education as a core government priority, with plans to expand access to high-quality early learning across Antigua and Barbuda. As part of this expansion initiative, the government has also announced plans to develop new early childhood education centers in the underserved Judges Hill and Jennings communities.

    Throughout the transition process, the Ministry of Education has reassured parents, school staff and the local community that maintaining consistent care and upholding the school’s existing high instructional standards will remain the government’s top priorities. To ensure a smooth handover and preserve the institution’s decades of institutional knowledge, ministry officials have extended an invitation to outgoing board members to remain involved with the school in an advisory capacity throughout the transition and beyond.

  • Jungle Bay-funded preschool to be handed over to education ministry

    Jungle Bay-funded preschool to be handed over to education ministry

    For nearly seven years, young children in Brooklyn, Soufriere, have attended early childhood classes in a cramped, makeshift church basement, their original learning facility destroyed when Hurricane Maria tore through the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia in 2017. Next week, that long period of temporary displacement will finally come to a close, as the brand-new Dominique Marchand Pre-School is formally transferred to the island’s Ministry of Education to begin serving local families.

    Located adjacent to Soufriere Primary School, the new facility carries a meaningful name that honors a local legacy: it was named for Dominique Marchand, who was killed alongside Daniel Langlois in Soufriere’s Bois Cotlette area in 2023. The project was spearheaded by Sam Raphael, proprietor of the popular local eco-resort Jungle Bay Resort and Spa, who stepped in after the region’s member of Parliament reached out to the resort seeking support for the long-unmet community need.

    In an interview outlining the project’s journey, Raphael shared that from its earliest stages, the pre-school development was a more ambitious undertaking than Jungle Bay’s typical community initiatives. What began as a request for support grew into a major community investment totaling more than half a million U.S. dollars, with early momentum launched by the resort’s own seed funding. “It’s way in excess of half a million dollars and we didn’t know where the funds were going to come from,” Raphael explained. “Jungle Bay, we put in the first dollar got the ball rolling and got the assistance along the way…”

    The effort drew broad community and visitor support, with many guests of Jungle Bay — who often develop deep affection for Soufriere during their stays — stepping up to contribute to the creation of a permanent early learning space for local children. Resort staff also joined the effort, pooling contributions to help bring the project across the finish line.

    Today, core construction of the pre-school is fully complete, and the facility is described as a beautiful, modern space ready to welcome children aged two to five. A small amount of remaining work, including perimeter fencing and the construction of an outdoor playground, will continue after the official handover, which is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, August 11. Once transferred to the Ministry of Education, the pre-school will be operated by the government to serve generations of young learners in the Soufriere community.

    The project marks a key milestone in the region’s long-term recovery from Hurricane Maria, which destroyed much of Saint Lucia’s public infrastructure nearly a decade ago, and demonstrates how private sector and community collaboration can address unmet public needs for underserved local populations.

  • Antigua and Barbuda to Welcome 3rd Edition of Cultural and Educational Camp at Public Library

    Antigua and Barbuda to Welcome 3rd Edition of Cultural and Educational Camp at Public Library

    As summer break approaches and local families begin gearing up for the 2026 academic year, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is preparing to launch a robust four-week summer camp designed to keep children engaged, build new skills, and ease the transition back to the classroom. Dubbed WORK FU UM! Summer Camp 2026, the initiative will run from August 10 through September 4 at the Antigua and Barbuda Public Library, welcoming young participants between the ages of 4 and 16. Unlike traditional unstructured summer downtime, this program centers on a balanced mix of academic preparation, creative exploration, cultural connection, and youth development.

    The camp’s curriculum spans a wide array of activities crafted to expose young people to diverse learning opportunities and nurture their individual strengths. Participants will take part in structured educational sessions focused on back-to-school readiness, alongside creative pursuits including music, dance, and pageantry. The program also incorporates hands-on cultural activities, educational field trips, group community service projects, and interactive collaborative workshops that encourage teamwork and peer engagement.

    A core pillar of the initiative is its focus on connecting youth to Antigua and Barbuda’s unique national heritage. Through hands-on cultural programming, children will explore local creative traditions, gaining a deeper understanding of how culture shapes personal identity and strengthens community bonds. This cultural component sets the camp apart from standard summer programs, rooting learning in local context while fostering pride in regional heritage.

    For the academic portion of the camp, organizers have designed structured learning experiences to bridge the gap between summer break and the new school year. By offering targeted back-to-school preparation and age-appropriate educational content, the program helps children shake off summer rust and reorient to structured learning, reducing transition anxiety for both students and families.

    For parents and guardians, the four-week program solves a common summer scheduling challenge, providing a productive, supervised space for children during the final weeks of the break. Camp activities will run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., aligning with typical working schedules for most caregivers. Registration will open on the first day of the camp, August 10, with a non-refundable registration fee of EC$300 required to secure a child’s spot. Interested families can get additional details by contacting Camp Director and Project Manager Peetron Thomas directly at (268) 775-1595. Organizers anticipate the program will deliver a meaningful, enriching experience that leaves participants prepared and excited for the upcoming academic term.

  • AI in schools ‘should be encouraged with safeguards’

    AI in schools ‘should be encouraged with safeguards’

    As artificial intelligence continues to reshape learning landscapes across the globe, a prominent Barbados non-profit leader is calling for a deliberate, balanced approach to integrating the technology into school classrooms. Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of the hands-on youth development workshop *Next Wave: AI + Entrepreneurship Experience*, hosted Friday at the Sugar Cane Club Hotel & Spa, Hibiscus Sports and Culture Foundation founder Akealii Hall laid out a nuanced framework for AI use that prioritizes original human thought over automated output.

    Hosted to help young Barbadians unpack both the transformative potential and hidden risks of widespread AI adoption, the Friday initiative drew support from a coalition of local stakeholders including Youth Uprising, iTech Consulting, the Sugar Cane Club Hotel & Spa and the Legacy Foundation. Beyond introductory lessons on how AI works, the programme gave participants practical training in pairing human creativity with AI tools to launch new ventures: attendees learned to draft business plans, build viable business models, and pitch their ideas to stakeholders, all while leaning into human-led problem solving.

    Hall, who leads the foundation focused on youth skills development, argues that AI’s strengths make it a valuable auxiliary tool for education, not a replacement for independent student work. “There are a lot of benefits of it and it can definitely be used as a good tool within the classroom system, but it has to be used sparingly and knowledgeably,” he explained.

    One of the most productive use cases Hall identified is supporting students in refining work they have already completed independently. For example, AI can act as a powerful proofreading tool for finished essays, checking for punctuation and grammatical errors, and helping students polish their writing to more clearly communicate ideas that they already developed but may struggle to put into polished prose. Hall also noted that AI can streamline administrative work for student research projects, including School-Based Assessments (SBAs) required for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams. After students complete the core research legwork — conducting surveys, distributing questionnaires, and gathering raw data themselves — AI can organize that information into structured data sets and analysis frameworks to save students time on manual formatting.

    Across every use case, however, Hall emphasized one non-negotiable rule: human work must always come first. He warned against allowing students to rely on AI as their primary problem-solving tool, stressing that preserving opportunities for independent critical thinking has to remain the core goal of education. “You want to always start by leading with humans first,” he said.

    The ultimate objective of the *Next Wave* workshop, Hall added, is to give young people a grounded, practical understanding of the AI tools they interact with daily. By teaching them to balance AI’s efficiency with human creativity and critical thought, the programme aims to equip a new generation of learners and entrepreneurs to use technology responsibly, rather than being controlled by it.

  • SSB Celebrates Academic Excellence with Scholarship Awards

    SSB Celebrates Academic Excellence with Scholarship Awards

    On August 7, 2026, Belize’s Social Security Board (SSB) gathered students, parents, educators and institutional leaders for a milestone scholarship ceremony, celebrating a quarter-century of expanding educational access for young Belizeans and awarding 85 new scholarships to deserving incoming high school and upper secondary students. Far more than just a one-time financial grant, each of this year’s awards carries a tangible vote of confidence in the next generation of Belizean leaders, echoing the program’s 25-year legacy of lifting up young people pursuing their academic goals.

    Launched in 2001, the SSB Scholarship Program has grown from a small initiative to a foundational educational support system that has helped hundreds of Belizean students access secondary and post-secondary education they might otherwise have been unable to afford. Speaking at the 2026 ceremony, SSB Public Relations Manager Vanessa Vellos emphasized that the 25th anniversary of the program makes this year’s event far more than a routine awards distribution—it is a celebration of decades of life-changing investment in Belize’s youth.

    “For the past twenty-five years the social security board has been transforming lives through education. So today is a very special day. It is not just a regular scholarship award ceremony. We are celebrating twenty-five years of giving back,” Vellos told reporters. Out of 200 total applications received for the 2026 award cycle, SSB selected 85 recipients based on strict, targeted eligibility criteria: all awardees must be native-born Belizeans, demonstrate verifiable financial need, prove their ability to complete a full academic program, and maintain a minimum B+ average to qualify for support. Of this year’s awards, 64 will go to students pursuing associate-level higher education, while 21 are allocated to incoming high school students.

    SSB officials note that the program serves a dual purpose: it rewards existing academic excellence and hard work, while making a long-term strategic investment in the young people who will go on to shape Belize’s economic, social and political future. The initiative aligns directly with SSB’s core institutional mission, which frames the board as a beacon of hope for communities across the country, achieved through targeted, meaningful investments in people.

    This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television news broadcast covering the event.