The naming of Antigua and Barbuda’s top performer on the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations has been pushed back, after three leading high-scoring candidates opted to request reviews of their lower qualifying grades. As the country’s education authorities confirmed this week, all three candidates have already secured an exceptional 20 Grade One marks, a result that puts them far ahead of other test-takers across the nation. Two of the standout students completed a combined 21 subjects each, ending their initial scoring round with 20 Grade Ones and a single Grade Two per candidate. The third candidate undertook the enormous academic load of 24 total subjects, and earned 20 Grade Ones alongside four Grade Two marks. According to Clare Browne, the Director of Education for Antigua and Barbuda, all three leading candidates are preparing to officially challenge their Grade Two results, which could shift the final count of Grade One marks each candidate holds. These adjusted scores will ultimately decide which student claims the title of the nation’s top CSEC performer for this testing cycle. In response to the pending review outcomes, the Ministry of Education has chosen to hold off on any official public announcement, waiting to release the final result until all challenge requests have been processed and final scores are confirmed. Browne also addressed public confusion around the ministry’s scoring policies, clarifying that while education officials identify high-achieving students to recognize their performance, the ministry does not release a full ranked list of all students who participated in the examinations. “We identified the top-performing students, but we don’t rank students from one to 10, or one to whatever number we have,” Browne explained to reporters. For the time being, the three candidates remain the highest-performing CSEC test-takers in Antigua and Barbuda this cycle, all tied with 20 confirmed Grade One marks. The official announcement of the overall top student will only go out after the grade reviews are finalized and adjusted results are verified by education authorities.
分类： education
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Education Director Salutes Dr. Myrick Smith Following Retirement, Welcome New Local CXC Registrar
After decades of dedicated service to education across Antigua and Barbuda, veteran education administrator Dr. Myrick Smith has formally retired, drawing widespread public recognition for his transformative impact on the island nation’s examination system. In a recent appearance on ABS Television to discuss results from the 2026 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) testing cycle, Education Director Clare Browne opened the segment by extending a heartfelt tribute to Dr. Smith’s decades-long contributions to the sector. For years, Browne noted, Antigua and Barbuda residents have relied on Dr. Smith’s annual public presentations to break down the country’s CXC results, making him a familiar and trusted figure in the national education space. Describing his legacy as extraordinary, Browne emphasized that Dr. Smith’s work has shaped the trajectory of education across the twin-island nation for generations. “I want to use this opportunity to salute Dr. Smith for the Herculean contribution that he has made to education and to wish him well as he enters into another sphere, another chapter of his life,” Browne told viewers of the live broadcast. Following Dr. Smith’s departure, the Public Service Commission has appointed Maritza West to fill his dual roles as Education Officer for Examinations and CXC Local Registrar. Browne extended warm congratulations to West on her new appointment, noting that the incoming administrator has spent years building expertise and preparing for this senior leadership position. “Miss West has been around for a long time. I would dare say she has been preparing for prime time for a very long time,” Browne added. The Education Director closed by expressing confidence in West’s ability to succeed, extending official wishes for a productive and impactful tenure as she takes full responsibility for managing and supervising all CXC examination-related operations across Antigua and Barbuda.
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Preparing for Jobs of Tomorrow: E-Governance Builds National Robotics Movement
On August 20, 2026, Belize kicked off an ambitious national effort to integrate advanced robotics education into secondary and post-secondary learning institutions across the country, starting with a high-tech donation to the University of Belize (UB) from the nation’s Ministry of E-Governance.
The donation, a fully equipped VEX V5 Classroom Super Robotics Kit, was delivered to UB’s Jaguar Tech Studio to transform how students engage with engineering and technology education. Comprising more than 1,500 individual components—including precision smart motors, responsive environmental sensors, and durable modular structural parts—the kit enables learners to bridge the gap between theoretical classroom learning and practical, hands-on innovation. Students can now design, build, and program fully functional dynamic robotic systems from scratch, gaining tangible experience that aligns with emerging global tech industry standards.
Jose Urbina, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of E-Governance, confirmed that the Belize Robotics Federation will be the next recipient of one of the specialized kits. While institutions for the three remaining initial kits have not yet been finalized, the ministry has already committed to procuring an additional five units to roll out to qualifying educational and technical institutions across all regions of Belize.
“Our core vision for this initiative is to build the critical infrastructure and capacity we need to prepare Belizean youth for the jobs of tomorrow,” Urbina explained in an interview following the handover. “We want to empower students to leverage their creativity and innovation, building one-of-a-kind projects using these robotic kits that solve real local challenges.”
Beyond equipment distribution, the Ministry of E-Governance has partnered with the Belize Robotics Federation to develop and roll out standardized robotics training courses that will be accessible to institutions across the entire country, ensuring consistent skill development regardless of geographic location. A key long-term goal of the initiative is to grow Belize’s presence and competitiveness at premier global robotics events, most notably the annual Robotics World Championship.
Urbina emphasized that competing on the international stage delivers far more than just recognition for young participants. “The ultimate outcome we’re working toward is increased representation from Belize at the Robotics World Championship,” he said. “These competitions give our young people invaluable exposure to cross-cultural teamwork, collaborative problem-solving, and cutting-edge engineering practices that they can’t get from a textbook alone.”
To expand the reach of the initiative, Urbina issued an open invitation to all interested educational institutions across Belize to connect with the Belize Robotics Federation to apply for a kit and join the growing national movement to build a stronger, more innovative tech-focused education ecosystem for the next generation.
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ACSOM reports rapid enrollment growth and expands medical education partnerships
What began as a small upstart medical program less than two years ago has transformed into a fast-growing international institution, as the American Canadian School of Medicine (ACSOM) based in Dominica continues to outpace enrollment projections and expand cross-border academic partnerships. When Campus Dean Professor Stanley White joined the institution in August 2023, fewer than 10 students walked its Dominica campus. Today, that on-campus student population has surged to more than 100, marking a more than tenfold expansion in just one academic year.
ACSOM President Carey James shared that the school’s total global enrollment now stands at 151 students. Around 110 of those learners are completing their foundational studies on the Dominica campus, while the remainder are based in the United States, where they finish required clinical rotations or study for medical licensing exams. The school’s most recent incoming cohort brought 47 new learners to the program, including 40 first-semester MD candidates and seven students enrolled in ACSOM’s preparatory track.
A key driver of the school’s rapid growth is its newly announced suite of strategic partnerships with three leading Canadian post-secondary institutions: the University of Waterloo, the University of Windsor, and St. Mary’s University in Halifax. These collaborations are designed to streamline the path to a medical degree for Canadian undergraduate students, cutting down on both time and tuition costs for eligible candidates.
Under the agreement with the University of Waterloo, qualifying students can complete their final year of undergraduate study while simultaneously beginning their first year of medical training at ACSOM. This combined model reduces the traditional eight-year journey from high school graduation to a medical doctorate by one full year. The partnership with the University of Windsor offers an alternative accelerated pathway: students complete two years of undergraduate study at the Windsor campus before moving to ACSOM for four years of medical training, resulting in a six-year path to an MD degree.
Beyond its academic partnerships in Canada, ACSOM is also expanding its global clinical training infrastructure. The school has added new clinical placement agreements with two major U.S. healthcare providers: Desert Regional Medical Center and Trinity Health System. It is also actively exploring opportunities to add clinical training sites across Canada to give students more hands-on learning options close to home.
As ACSOM enters a period of rapid expansion, it is also approaching several major institutional milestones. In May, the school will graduate its very first cohort of medical students, and will participate for the first time in the U.S. residency matching program, which places graduating medical students into residency positions across the country. Early academic outcomes are already promising: ACSOM reports that 90% of students who enrolled in the program have remained enrolled through their studies, and all five students from the most recent cohort who took the first step of U.S. medical licensing exams passed on their first attempt.
Leaders at the school say their mission extends far beyond training the next generation of physicians. ACSOM is ramping up its community engagement efforts across Dominica, hosting public health fairs, offering free health screenings, and running outreach programs focused on managing common chronic conditions including diabetes and hypertension. It also runs targeted initiatives to support people living with disabilities on the island.
Audrey Kata, president of ACSOM’s Student Government Association, added that the student body is deeply involved in both community outreach and campus recreational life, with widespread participation in intramural sports and local community events. Looking ahead, the school is preparing to welcome at least 30 new students when the spring semester begins in January. As its new Canadian partnerships continue to develop, institution leaders expect steady long-term growth, with a large share of new enrollment coming from Canadian students seeking accelerated, affordable pathways to an MD degree.
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President Abinader meets with 53 deaf students who completed artificial intelligence training
In a landmark moment for inclusive digital education in the Dominican Republic, 53 deaf secondary school students from across the country gathered at the National Palace in Santo Domingo Thursday to meet with President Luis Abinader, following their successful completion of a groundbreaking artificial intelligence skills training program.
During the meeting, President Abinader offered enthusiastic praise for the cohort’s commitment and outstanding academic performance, emphasizing that the participating students posted results that outpaced the national average for similar digital skills training programs. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering with young Dominicans across all demographic groups to remove barriers to high-quality education, expand entry points for meaningful employment, and create clear pathways for long-term professional growth.
In response, the students expressed gratitude to the president and his administration for prioritizing investment in the deaf community. They underscored that equitable access to cutting-edge technology and skills development opportunities is critical for empowering people with hearing impairments to build their capabilities, pursue their professional goals, and contribute more fully to all spheres of national life.
The cross-sector initiative was the product of collaborative development and implementation by three key stakeholders: the Dominican Republic’s General Directorate for Community Development (DGDC), domestic technology firm QVITAE, and the National School for the Deaf (Enapsor). From its launch, the program centered a core mission of expanding access to innovative digital tools and future-focused skills training for underrepresented groups in the country.
Rafael Pichardo, CEO of QVITAE, shared that the program exceeded initial performance expectations: 80 percent of all enrolled participants completed all required coursework and assessments, and like the overall cohort, their scores landed above the national average for comparable training. Pichardo also highlighted the standout work of David Pérez Soriano, one of the participating students, who designed and built a custom official website for the National School for the Deaf as a capstone project for his web design module of the program.
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Youth summer camp experience combines STEAM, sports & life skills
For most children across the globe, summer camp revolves around swimming, arts and crafts, and campfire sing-alongs. But this year, nearly 100 young Bahamians spent their summer break tackling a uniquely local challenge: designing and constructing model homes built to withstand the powerful Atlantic hurricanes that regularly impact their island nation. This hands-on project was the centerpiece of the Wenty Ford Sports Foundation’s Second Annual Winners’ Camp, a free full-day youth program that blends academic learning, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) innovation, athletic training, and personal growth for children ages 7 to 14.
Backed by financial and logistical support from Consolidated Water (Bahamas) Ltd. (CWCO), the camp was designed to remove financial barriers that often block low-income families from accessing enriching summer youth programming. Every day opened with a morning devotion and volunteer-led musical performance, setting a collaborative and reflective tone before campers moved into structured academic and STEAM activities.
This year’s headline program, the Hurricane Resilient Challenge, invited participants to apply core STEAM principles to a problem that hits close to home for all Bahamians. After decades of increasing hurricane intensity driven by rising ocean temperatures, hurricane-resistant infrastructure has become a critical priority for the island nation. Campers were tasked with brainstorming, designing, and building scale models of homes that could survive high winds and storm surge, pushing them to think critically about how science, engineering, and creative problem-solving can address real community needs. For older campers between 11 and 14, the program extended beyond model-building to two days of immersive technical training in 3D printing and coding, led by Happy Human Director Crachad Laing, introducing many young people to digital skills they may not encounter in standard school curricula.
After mornings spent in the classroom and workshop, afternoons shifted focus to the baseball diamond, where trained coaches led skill drills, strategic discussions, and friendly scrimmages for both baseball and softball. These athletic sessions were structured not just to improve physical skill, but to reinforce core life values: teamwork, self-discipline, and perseverance through challenge.
CWCO’s sponsorship covered all costs for participating families, including daily breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as athletic equipment, educational supplies, STEAM project materials, mentorship support, and team uniforms. This full funding allowed the Wenty Ford Sports Foundation to keep the camp 100% free, opening access to children from all socioeconomic backgrounds who would otherwise be unable to afford specialized summer programming.
Henderson Cash, General Manager of CWCO, emphasized that the camp’s broad mix of activities is key to helping young people explore their full range of interests and talents. “A child can love baseball and coding. They can be athletic and academically curious. Programmes like this give young people room to discover all those parts of themselves,” Cash explained. He added that this year’s focus on hurricane resilience made the program particularly meaningful for the local community. “When children are given opportunities to think, create and solve problems, while also developing discipline and teamwork through sport, we are helping to broaden what they believe is possible for themselves.”
Founded by Dr. Wentia Ford, the Wenty Ford Sports Foundation centers its mission on empowering Bahamian youth through the combination of education and athletics. The organization works to create inclusive, supportive spaces where young people can learn, grow, and recognize their own untapped potential. Through the annual Winners’ Camp, the foundation delivers high-quality, engaging summer experiences while breaking down the financial barriers that too often exclude low-income youth from these transformative opportunities.
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Infotep to open new tourism and hospitality training center in Barahona
BARAHONA, Dominican Republic — A new educational initiative designed to meet the booming demand for skilled tourism and hospitality workers in the country’s southwestern Enriquillo region is set to open this weekend, with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader scheduled to lead the inauguration ceremony. The Guarocuya Technical and Professional Training School, developed and launched by the National Institute of Technical and Professional Training (Infotep), will repurpose the renovated facilities of the former Hotel Guarocuya for its new operations, kicking off its programming Saturday, August 22 at 3:00 p.m.
The training center was conceived to address a critical gap in the regional tourism economy: a shortage of qualified workers trained in modern hotel management and hospitality operations. Unlike general workforce development programs, this institution will focus exclusively on building specialized skills aligned with the needs of the fast-growing tourism sector across the Enriquillo region.
Infotep leaders have emphasized that the school’s development is directly tied to ongoing expansion efforts in Cabo Rojo, a major tourism hub located in the nearby province of Pedernales. As large-scale tourism development progresses in Cabo Rojo, industry analysts project significant growth in job openings across every segment of the local tourism value chain, from front-of-house hotel services to food and beverage management, tour operations, and hospitality entrepreneurship. The new training center is positioned to prepare local workers to fill these emerging roles, ensuring that community members can access the new economic opportunities generated by regional tourism growth rather than relying on external hiring.
By locating the facility in Barahona, Infotep aims to serve workers across the entire Enriquillo region, cutting down on travel barriers for residents seeking skills training that can boost their employability and earning potential. The initiative represents a targeted public investment in aligning workforce development with regional economic development priorities, with the long-term goal of strengthening the Dominican Republic’s position as a top Caribbean tourism destination through a more skilled, competitive local workforce.
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Academic year orientation dates and eBooks for Forms 1, 2 and 3
As the 2026–2027 academic year approaches, Grenada’s Ministry of Education has officially published key back-to-school information for all public and private secondary institutions across the country, including detailed orientation timelines for incoming students and a rollout schedule for free digital course materials for lower secondary grades.
Orientation sessions, which help new and returning students acclimate to campus life, meet teaching staff, and prepare for the year ahead, are scheduled to roll out between 26 August and 28 August 2026. The vast majority of participating institutions have set a 9:00 a.m. start time for their orientation events, with a small number of schools opting for earlier start times to accommodate their specific institutional planning.
Schools holding orientation sessions on 26 August 2026 at 9:00 a.m. include Anglican High School, Boca Secondary School, Grenada Christian Academy, Happy Hill Secondary School, and J W Fletcher Catholic Secondary School. On 27 August 2026, most institutions will also kick off events at 9:00 a.m., including Bishop’s College, Grenada Boys Secondary School, Grenada SDA Comprehensive School, Grenville Secondary School, St David’s Catholic Secondary School, St John’s Christian Secondary School, St Joseph’s Convent St George, St Rose Modern Secondary School, Wesley College, and Westerhall Secondary School. Two schools on this date have adjusted start times: St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School will begin at 8:00 a.m., while St Joseph’s Convent, St Andrew will start its session at 8:30 a.m.
The final wave of orientation sessions will take place on 28 August 2026, all starting at 9:00 a.m. This group includes Hillsborough Secondary School, Mac Donald College, Presentation Brothers College, St George’s Institute, and St Mark’s Secondary School.
Alongside the orientation schedule, the Ministry of Education has also announced the rollout of digital eBooks for Forms 1, 2, and 3, expanding access to flexible, device-agnostic learning materials for lower secondary students. All eBooks will be hosted on the BookFusion platform, which allows students to log in and access their course content from any internet-connected device, whether a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, regardless of their location.
To align with the back-to-school timeline, eBooks for Forms 1 and 2 will be made available to students starting 26 August 2026, matching the launch of the first round of orientation events. Form 3 eBooks will follow five days later, becoming accessible to students on 31 August 2026. The Ministry shared preview images of the Form 1, 2, and 3 eBook resources alongside its official announcement.
This announcement was published via local media outlet NOW Grenada, which included a standard disclaimer that the outlet is not liable for contributor content or statements, and invites users to report any abusive content through official reporting channels.
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Prime Minister Skerrit calls for digital transformation of Dominica’s education system
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has reignited calls for a sweeping transformation of the island nation’s education system, positioning digital technology as the cornerstone of this ambitious reform push. The proposal emerged directly from public feedback, after a resident from the coastal community of Calibishie raised urgent concerns about the skyrocketing cost of school supplies, especially core textbooks, that are squeezing household budgets ahead of each new academic year.
Skerrit not only validated the financial strain that families face when sourcing required learning materials for their children, he also highlighted a second, less frequently discussed challenge that impacts students directly: the excessive physical weight of printed books and supplies that young learners must transport to and from school every day. Questioning the logic of asking children to haul heavy backpacks loaded with multiple textbooks when most educational content can be hosted digitally, the Prime Minister argued that the current system is outdated on both financial and practical grounds.
Under his proposed digitally driven education framework, students would access textbooks, worksheets, and other core learning content via internet-connected electronic devices, drastically cutting reliance on traditional printed materials. Skerrit outlined that this systemic shift would deliver multiple overlapping benefits: it would make educational resources more readily available to all students, regardless of their household’s economic status, reduce the ongoing financial pressure on parents, and eliminate the physical strain of carrying heavy book loads that can impact young learners’ physical health.
The Prime Minister emphasized that integrating digital technology into education is not a standalone fix, but a core component of broader national education reform. The end goal of these changes, he explained, is to build a more inclusive, affordable education system that better equips Dominican students to thrive in a fast-evolving global economy, where digital literacy is becoming an essential foundational skill.
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CXC Examination Misconduct Cases Jump From 80 to 128
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has published alarming new data showing a steep 60% jump in documented examination misconduct cases across the Caribbean region in 2026, with total confirmed infractions rising from 80 cases in the previous year to 128. The findings were officially announced by CXC Director of Operations Dr. Nicole Manning during the public release of the May-June 2026 examination cycle results, hosted in Anguilla.
Dr. Manning characterized the upward trend in rule-breaking as a deeply troubling development for regional education standards, outlining clear penalties for students found guilty of misconduct. Candidates proven to have violated examination regulations face serious consequences, including full cancellation of their exam grades and permanent disqualification from sitting future CXC-administered assessments.
An analysis of the 128 confirmed irregularities reveals that the most prevalent offense remains the unauthorized possession and use of electronic devices inside exam halls, a longstanding challenge for testing bodies globally. Following device misuse, the next most common infractions are collusion, where candidates coordinate to share answers during testing, and the introduction of pre-prepared prohibited reference materials into exam rooms.
In a historic first for the regional examination body, 2026 marked the first time that deliberate misuse of artificial intelligence was formally recorded as a category of exam misconduct. This development comes as generative AI tools have become widely accessible to students across the Caribbean, creating new challenges for educators and testing administrators working to uphold academic integrity.
Further investigation into the cases found that misconduct was not limited to one-off, isolated incidents. Dr. Manning confirmed that a subset of repeat offenders had been caught engaging in the same rule-breaking behavior across multiple different papers in the 2026 exam cycle.
Beyond deliberate cheating, CXC also highlighted a separate persistent issue: a growing number of candidates failing to complete and submit their mandatory school-based assessments (SBAs). The council reported that some examination centers failed to send in required SBA submissions to CXC headquarters, while many other candidates simply did not finish the required coursework components that count toward their final grades.
Dr. Manning emphasized that incomplete assessment components carry just as serious consequences as intentional cheating. Any candidate who fails to submit an SBA, misses a required exam paper, or leaves any other mandatory assessment component unfinished will receive no final grade for their qualification, effectively invalidating months of study and preparation.
To address the growing integrity crisis, CXC has issued a public appeal to regional education ministries, individual schools, parents, and local community leaders to collaborate in reinforcing the importance of full compliance with examination rules and the completion of all required assessment components. The council stressed that even small acts of misconduct can erase months of hard work, leaving students without the credentials they need to pursue higher education or career opportunities.
In response to the emergence of AI-related cheating, CXC has also taken proactive steps to update its policies. The organization has developed new official guidelines outlining the responsible and acceptable use of artificial intelligence in educational settings and formal assessments, providing clear guidance to regional schools that are grappling with the rapid spread of generative AI tools in classrooms.