分类： education

The start of a new academic year brings change for first-year students at Princess Margaret Secondary School, and one of the most visible updates is a revamped school uniform that has quickly earned positive feedback from teenagers and their families as the cohort adapts to high school life.

On Monday, the first day of term, incoming first-formers arrived on campus wearing the new uniform, designed to offer greater comfort amid rising seasonal temperatures as they navigated their first experience in a secondary education setting. For 11-year-old Sariya Perch, the updated uniform offered more than just a fresh aesthetic. “I feel good. I feel confident in myself and I feel comfy in my uniform,” Perch shared, adding that she was optimistic about the day ahead, saying “I feel happy. I feel that I’ll have a great day today and I feel that my classmates will have a great day also.”

Perch’s classmate Junia Carmichael echoed that positive assessment, saying “It feels very good and comfortable. It looks better than the other one,” and predicting that the first day of high school would be a success. Fellow student Faith Grandison, who will study in form 1S, also praised the redesign: “It’s great. I love it. And I didn’t really like the first uniform, but I like this uniform better.” Samaria Best, another first-former, echoed her classmate’s approval.

While the uniform received largely favorable reviews, the transition from primary to secondary school brought a complex mix of emotions for the new cohort. Grandison described the shift to high school as “sad and exciting,” explaining that “I miss my old school. I miss my parents but I got to learn so I happy.” She added that she was looking forward to meeting new peers and building new friendships.

Keshra Barker, a student from form 1C, admitted she felt anxious at the start of the day. “It was okay. At first, it was scary, but then I get confident,” Barker said, crediting her mother, sister and grandmother for helping her calm her nerves and feel ready for the new term. In contrast, Lashawn Bynoe of 1J embraced the new chapter without hesitation. “I feel amazing,” he said, explaining his reaction simply: “Because I went to a new school.” Bynoe also shared that the new uniform filled him with pride, saying “I feel proud. Yes please I feel proud,” and adding that he hoped other male students across the school would eventually adopt the updated style.

Parents also shared a range of perspectives on the new uniform design. Sevol Pommells, a parent of one first-former, said he welcomed the change, noting that the updated design is far more distinctive than the previous traditional uniform. “I feel good about it. I like it a lot, a lot more unique than a regular uniform, you know,” Pommells said. He also pointed to the rising temperatures across Barbados as a key reason the new uniform is a practical improvement, explaining “I believe that is much better, especially in times like this when it’s becoming hot in Barbados,” and adding that the new fabric is noticeably lighter than the old material. When asked about potential differences in cost between the new and old uniforms, Pommells said he had no concerns about the pricing, framing the update as a modern, globally-aligned change for the school.

Another parent, Kerri Taylor, also supported the redesign, though she noted one small issue with the fit. Taylor shared that her daughter found the uniform comfortable, but had to have it adjusted to fit correctly. On the first day of term, Taylor’s main concern was not the uniform, but how her daughter would adjust to the new educational environment. “Nervous, nervous,” she said of her own feelings, explaining that the shift from primary school to a new campus brings big changes that take time to adapt to.

First-former Kyjara Barrow said the new uniform took a small period of adjustment. “I feel good. At first I was like, but then I started liking it and I say, like, good,” she said, confirming that the uniform ultimately felt comfortable to wear. Her father, Jamal Barrow, took a neutral stance on the redesign, saying “I ain’t feel no way about it, it’s just a new look.” Because the uniforms are distributed through the Barbadian government, Barrow explained he had no basis to compare the cost of the new and traditional options. He also noted a current supply gap: Kyjara was supposed to receive three skirts as part of her uniform allocation, but “right now the government could only do one for right now.”

For Kyjara, the first day of high school brought a mix of excitement and worry, much like it did for many of her peers. “At first I was excited. Then I started thinking about all the bullies and all that,” she said. But reassurance from her father helped ease her fears: “He said it’s going to be okay. So I said okay. So I’m happy.”

Photos by Lauryn Escamilla

As a new academic term kicks off across Barbados, the island’s Minister of Education Transformation Chad Blackman has drawn a clear line in the sand: commercial enterprises looking to target school-aged children with advertisements and sales of ultra-processed foods will be barred from school premises if they violate official national nutrition policies.

Blackman made the stance explicit during an appearance at St Mary’s Primary School Monday, where he spoke to reporters about the rollout of two key government projects: a new universal school breakfast program and updated national school nutrition guidelines. He warned corporate entities against exploiting common loopholes to reach young consumers, such as hiding marketing outreach behind the guise of charitable donations or branded promotional giveaways.

“Schools are hands off,” Blackman stressed during the address. “If your business sells ultra-processed foods, this is not a space where you can enter, court students by donating items children are likely to want, and still operate in violation of school nutrition policy.”

The hard line on marketing comes as part of a broader coordinated push across Barbados government agencies to reverse a steady rise in childhood obesity, a growing public health crisis that officials say demands proactive intervention. Blackman emphasized that while the government is committed to supporting food vendors to adapt their offerings rather than punishing them, its commitment to curbing youth weight gain remains unwavering. To that end, the Ministry of Education has partnered with the Ministry of Health and the Heart and Stroke Foundation to offer free specialized training for vendors, helping them revise their menus to prioritize nutritious, whole food options over ultra-processed goods.

Contrary to narratives that frame the policy as a ban on vending around schools, Blackman emphasized the government is pursuing collaboration over exclusion. “When we sit down with vendors, we have been clear: they can keep operating, they can keep earning a living,” he explained. “But with so many of our children already living with obesity, any food sold on or near school grounds has to be fit for purpose – it has to be healthy. What has been encouraging is that vendors have told us they want to work with us to make this transition, and that is the collaborative relationship we are building.”

Francine Charles, manager of the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition, echoed the minister’s urgency, noting that targeted food advertising actively rewires consumer preferences, particularly for children who lack the cognitive ability to resist persuasive marketing. Ultra-processed foods are specifically engineered to encourage repeated overconsumption, she added, making unregulated marketing to young people a major public health threat. Health officials across the island have repeatedly noted that children’s food choices are far more heavily shaped by sophisticated advertising than independent free will, making restrictions on school-based marketing a critical first step to reversing obesity trends.

Alongside the new nutrition policies, the Ministry of Education is rolling out additional reforms for the new term across Barbados’ secondary education sector. All secondary schools on the island have launched orientation programs for a new mandatory community service learning initiative, which requires students to secure community placement and engage in friendly inter-school competitions as the new academic policy is fully implemented this term.

As the new academic year kicks off across Barbados, a long-awaited national school breakfast programme has rolled out to all public nursery and primary institutions, providing free morning meals to approximately 17,000 young students. Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman confirmed the launch during a first-day school tour of St Mary’s Primary, framing the initiative as a targeted government intervention to reduce financial and logistical strain on households. The core mission of the programme, Blackman explained, is to guarantee every primary-aged child who wants a breakfast can access one, giving working parents or caregivers peace of mind regardless of their morning schedule or financial circumstances. Many parents face barriers to preparing morning meals, from tight commute timelines that require leaving home before dawn to limited financial resources, and the new programme is designed to address both of these challenges. Behind the timely launch, Blackman highlighted the intensive work of government teams, particularly the existing School Meals Department which already manages national school lunch provision. “The team and the permanent secretary have worked tirelessly to hit this launch deadline, while maintaining strict quality standards for every meal served,” he noted. Blackman added that the programme’s rotating menu has been curated to offer a diverse range of flavorful, nutritionally balanced options, with the full menu published on the ministry’s official website and social media channels for public transparency. School leaders across the island have broadly welcomed the expansion of the National Nutrition Policy to include the breakfast programme. Paula Toppin, principal of Charles F Broomes Primary, emphasized that the programme fills a critical gap for students who travel to school early and arrive hungry, ensuring they get a nutritious start to their school day. At Bay Primary School, principal Stacey Blunte echoed that enthusiasm, pointing out that proper morning nutrition directly boosts students’ ability to focus and engage in learning. “Without the right fuel from breakfast, many of our students struggle to focus throughout the morning. This initiative removes that barrier entirely,” Blunte told local outlet Barbados TODAY, adding that school staff were on site early to receive meal deliveries and ensure smooth service ahead of the first class. For the current academic year, Bay Primary is also hosting St Paul’s Primary School’s Kindergarten through Grade 2 cohorts while St Paul’s campus undergoes full infrastructure upgrades, meaning the programme benefits displaced students as well. Many parents have echoed school leaders’ praise, sharing personal stories of how the initiative has already simplified their daily routines. One mother from St Thomas, who travels long distances to get her child to school and often leaves home before 7 a.m., explained that the programme eliminates the daily rush to prepare breakfast before heading out. “For us, this is a huge relief. There are some mornings I just don’t have time to sit down and make breakfast before we leave, so knowing my son can get a meal here makes everything easier,” she said, as her son ate his breakfast at school. Another parent noted that the programme fills a critical safety net for low-income children who cannot afford morning meals at home, a sentiment shared by many other caregivers. One elderly Barbadian resident who attended primary school nearly 90 years ago recalled a historic school milk and biscuit programme that operated decades ago, saying she was thrilled to see a similar nutritious meal initiative return to local schools. Janelle Reid, president of Bay Primary’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), also endorsed the programme, urging parents to encourage their children to take advantage of the free daily meal. However, the programme’s launch was not without criticism. Some parents voiced disappointment with inconsistencies between the published menu and the meals served on the first day. Multiple parents reported that items listed on the menu, such as bananas and hot tea, were not included in first-day servings. One parent raised concerns about portion size, arguing that a single slice of bread was not enough to sustain a 10-year-old child through the morning. Other parents claimed that meal offerings varied between schools, suggesting some institutions might receive preferential treatment with more substantial portions or additional items not available at other campuses. A small number of critics also argued that too much of the programme’s budget was going toward packaging rather than the food itself. In response to these early concerns, Minister Blackman committed to ongoing monitoring and adjustments to the programme. He emphasized that authorities will track not only meal quality and consistency but also delivery times to ensure breakfast service does not disrupt scheduled teaching and learning. “We are committed to continuously improving this initiative as we deliver enhanced educational support across Barbados,” Blackman said. “Our goal is to make sure this programme delivers real, lasting benefit for students and families across the country,” he added.

In a landmark moment for education transformation in Barbados, Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman officially opened the new First Form Academy at Princess Margaret Secondary School (PMSS) in Six Roads, St. Philip on Monday, challenging the academy’s inaugural cohort to embrace intentional purpose and lay the foundation for a new legacy of academic and personal excellence at the institution.

Designed to deliver targeted, holistic support that goes far beyond traditional academic instruction, the First Form Academy expands first-year students’ learning experiences to cover both core subjects and life-critical soft skills. Alongside standard core curricula including mathematics, English language, conversational Spanish and integrated science, students will attend regular specialized seminars focused on emotional intelligence, personal financial literacy, career exploration, mental health and wellbeing, active citizenship, and leadership development.

Speaking to the founding class at the launch ceremony, Blackman emphasized that students’ status as the first cohort of the academy places them at a historic turning point for PMSS, carrying both unique opportunity and profound responsibility. “This represents the future of this school… not just in creating a new culture but saying to the rest of our village that Princess Margaret means business. Princess Margaret is deliberate,” he stated. He encouraged students to look past their immediate secondary school years and consider how they will one day give back to their school, local communities, and the entire nation of Barbados, posing a core question for every student: “This is your purpose. Why am I here? How can I contribute not just to the school but to your wider community, your country, and the world?”

As part of the broader transformation push, Blackman issued a bold five-year target: PMSS will rise to become one of the top 10 performing secondary schools across Barbados. “I want to challenge the school to embrace that bold five-year vision. And what is that vision? That within five years, Princess Margaret Secondary School should be amongst the top ten secondary schools in Barbados,” he said. The minister stressed that hitting this ambitious goal will require collective effort from every stakeholder: students, classroom teachers, parents, the school’s board of management, and the surrounding local community. “Providing opportunity does not mean lowering expectations. We are here to raise the expectations of this school and everyone that comes through it,” he added.

Chief Education Officer Ramona Archer-Bradsaw framed the new academy as a visible example of the broader national shift in education policy, which is pushing schools to adapt their structures and programming to better meet the evolving needs of modern learners. “We have recognised that our schools must continuously evolve to meet the needs of our students,” she explained. “We must be willing to adapt our programmes and our structures to do what we really want them to do, and that is to support you.”

Archer-Bradsaw pointed to early success from similar adaptive reforms already rolled out at other Barbadian secondary schools, noting that St George Secondary recorded a more than 60% increase in passing grades for mathematics between 2025 and 2026, while Daryll Jordan Secondary saw a more than 40% jump in English passes over the same period. She confirmed that PMSS now joins a growing national movement of student-centered education transformation, with the First Form Academy initiative targeting improved academic outcomes while integrating parenting support programs, psychosocial support interventions, and whole-school culture change to guide the institution’s five-year transformation journey.

For PMSS’s new acting principal Dr. Michelle Edwards, the academy’s launch marks an opportunity to build on the school’s longstanding history while equipping a new generation of students to thrive in the future. “Today we officially launch the first form academy, a sanctuary designed exquisitely to transition, nurture, and elevate our newest scholars into titans of excellence,” she said. Edwards called on parents to partner closely with the school and challenged teachers to uphold uncompromisingly high standards as they guide students through their first year of secondary education, noting: “To our phenomenal teachers and staff because we know we are architects of their future. Let our passion be the fuel that drives them. Let our standards remain uncompromisingly high.”

The launch of the academy also aligns with the rollout of a updated school uniform for PMSS, a change Blackman said reinforces the institution’s ongoing transformation. “The introduction of this modern uniform further reinforces transformation, representing renewal, pride, belonging, and the high expectations we have for both students’ achievements and conduct,” he explained.

Blackman reminded the inaugural class that their status as the academy’s first students will remain a core part of their identity long after they graduate, but warned that this distinction comes with the responsibility of setting a clear benchmark for all future cohorts. He encouraged students to take full advantage of the array of extracurricular and co-curricular opportunities available to them, including competitive sports, community service learning, and public speaking development. This week, students will begin their community service programming, and a new Student TV initiative launching later this term will give them hands-on opportunities to build communication and interview skills. He also urged language learners studying French and Spanish to use digital platforms to practice and engage with the languages outside of structured classroom time, noting: “Your world is not limited by the language that you speak. There’s a world out there, a huge world that we want to expose you to.”

The academy’s instructional framework places heavy emphasis on modern best practices including ongoing teacher professional development, cross-staff collaboration, differentiated instruction tailored to individual student needs, inclusive education, restorative disciplinary practices, and collaborative professional learning communities for staff.

As the new school year gets underway, Blackman noted that the long-term success of the academy will be measured by its lasting impact on students and the broader school culture. “This is a moment of celebration, but not just celebration. Reflect on it and ask yourself, ‘Where will the academy be within the next five, ten years?’” he said during the official unveiling of the academy’s sign.

Ultimately, the First Form Academy is positioned to serve as a national pilot model for education transformation across Barbados. Insights and outcome data collected from the PMSS pilot will be used to refine and scale similar approaches to secondary education across the island. In his closing remarks to students, Blackman challenged the inaugural cohort to believe in their own potential and pursue excellence with intentional purpose, self-discipline, and relentless determination. “Nobody can stop me from achieving what I set out to do. Nobody. And I want you to have the same mindset,” he said, urging first-formers to make the most of the unprecedented opportunity in front of them: “That all of you will be great in every single thing that you have put your mind to do.”

As hundreds of Barbadian students streamed back through school gates on Monday to kick off the 2024 academic year, education authorities launched three transformative initiatives to reshape the nation’s learning landscape: universal free early childhood education, a pilot specialised secondary school academy, and a year-round campus infrastructure upgrade programme.

Led by Minister of Education Transformation Chad Blackman, a delegation of senior education officials including Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer Bradshaw, Deputy Chief Education Officer Julia Beckles, and Permanent Secretary Kim Belle conducted a day-long tour of institutions across the country to mark the start of term, starting with St Mary’s Primary, a flagship site for the new early childhood rollout.

For most returning students, the first day brought the familiar joy of reconnecting with classmates and teachers after summer break. But for the island’s youngest learners, stepping into a pre-primary classroom for the first time marked the start of an entirely new educational journey made accessible at no cost to their families under the new universal programme.

Standing at St Mary’s Primary, Blackman formally announced the nationwide launch, framing the policy as a landmark step for Barbados education equity and evidence-based early learning. “Today we rolled out universal access to early childhood education, and St Mary’s Primary stands as one of the pioneering sites delivering this programme across the island,” Blackman said. “What this means for Barbadian families is that all pre-primary children can now access a play-based early learning curriculum completely free of charge.”

The minister emphasized that the structured play-focused curriculum was developed in line with cutting-edge international research on early childhood cognitive development, drawing on best practices from education systems across Asia, Europe, North America and Africa. “Decades of scientific research confirm that for children aged three to five, guided play-based formal learning builds the foundational cognitive skills that drive long-term success in life and learning,” Blackman explained. “Today we embedded this evidence-based approach into Barbados’ formal education system, and that makes this an incredibly exciting time for our country.”

After wrapping up visits to primary campuses, the delegation moved to secondary education, where Princess Margaret Secondary School has been selected as the pilot site for a new specialised academy offering customised learning pathways for students. Blackman noted that while the school has faced systemic challenges over the years, it has undergone significant recent improvement, making it an ideal test case for education reform.

“We are unveiling this new academy today to offer a different, student-centered approach to learning for high-performing students,” Blackman said. “With a dedicated team of specialised teachers in place, we expect that in two to three years, Princess Margaret Secondary will become a source of national pride and a model we can replicate across the entire secondary education system.”

Alongside curriculum innovation, Blackman outlined a major shift in how the government addresses the island’s aging school infrastructure, many of which range from 50 to 200 years old. For decades, repair and upgrade work was limited to an eight-week window over the summer break, but the minister said that timeline is no longer sufficient to tackle decades of accumulated structural needs.

“We carried out an aggressive infrastructure improvement programme this summer, but we have made a systemic change to how we approach upgrades moving forward,” Blackman said. “Starting last year, we made the decision to shift to year-round refurbishment work. Instead of cramming all projects into eight weeks, we will now carry out upgrades on weekends, public holidays and during the academic term to continuously bring all school facilities up to modern standards.”

Blackman also confirmed that transition arrangements at the temporary satellite campus of Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic are progressing smoothly, as the institution prepares for a new permanent facility scheduled for completion in September 2027. The minister noted that early reports from the campus show students have already settled into their new learning spaces, with construction of the permanent site remaining on track for its 2027 delivery target.

As the new academic year kicks off, Springer Memorial Secondary School – the only public all-girls secondary school on the island – is facing an unexpected but welcome challenge: it has reached full enrollment capacity after an unusually high number of transfer requests from students across other island secondary schools.

In an interview with reporters at the opening of the 2026-2027 academic year, principal Sonja Goodridge confirmed that the institution has become a top destination for families seeking secondary education, with dozens of students transferring in from multiple local secondary schools. “I was pleased to see the numbers we have added to our rolls significantly,” Goodridge noted. “Springer is definitely a school of choice and we’ve had a lot of students transfer in.”

Goodridge outlined two key factors driving this surge in interest. First, as the island’s only all-girls public secondary school, the institution fills a unique niche for parents who prefer a single-gender learning environment for their daughters. “I do believe that being the only all-girls secondary school on the island attracts a particular type of child,” she explained. “Parents prefer to know sometimes that their child is in a single-gender school, and I think that that has something to do with it.”

The school’s highly regarded athletic programs have also emerged as a major draw for transferring students. Goodridge shared that many transfer applicants specifically cited Springer’s diverse athletic offerings – which include competitive volleyball and netball programs – as a core reason for their decision to switch schools. “Some of the ones that have transferred in also tried very hard to say that it’s because of our athletic programme,” she said.

Despite the overwhelming demand, the school has been forced to turn away dozens of interested applicants due to space constraints. “We couldn’t take all,” Goodridge confirmed. “We had a lot that applied and I had to say no.” The principal emphasized that the school’s first priority is maintaining the quality of education and support for students already enrolled, adding that the institution’s mission centers on adding tangible value to every student’s educational experience. “Here at Springer we add value,” she said. “We’re the ones adding the value to what we have and that we will continue to work with those that we have as well.”

The acceptance of additional students, including returning fifth-form students from other schools that did not offer their desired fifth-form program, has left the campus “chock-a-block”, according to Goodridge. “We really can’t hold anymore,” she stated.

Even amid the space constraints, Goodridge expressed enthusiasm for the new cohort of students and reaffirmed the school’s commitment to integrating all new enrollees into the Springer community. Aligning with the school’s motto “Members One of Another”, Goodridge noted that the institution would work to ensure every new student feels welcome and supported from their first day on campus.

Photos captured on the first day of the academic year show new first-form students participating in morning assembly prayer, returning fifth-form students adjusting their uniforms before classes, and Goodridge addressing the full student body to mark the start of the new term.