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分类： education

  • 96 teachers now CVQ certified

    96 teachers now CVQ certified

    A major advancement for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Guyana has been marked as 96 educators across the country have completed industry-aligned competency training and earned recognized Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) credentials, the Ministry of Education has announced. This milestone comes as part of ongoing work by the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to upgrade the national TVET sector through its standardized CVQ initiative, which has been built out over the past three years to align local training with regional occupational standards.

    Speaking at the announcement of the completed certifications, Education Minister Sonia Parag pushed back against long-held stereotypes that frame TVET as a lower-tier alternative to traditional academic schooling, highlighting its central role in preparing Guyana’s workforce for fast-emerging economic opportunities. “Technical and vocational education is not a lesser pathway. It is essential to preparing our people for the opportunities ahead and building a skilled workforce that can contribute to Guyana’s continued development,” Parag stated. She urged the newly certified teachers to leverage their updated practical skills to empower students, elevate instruction at their home institutions, and challenge outdated misconceptions about career and technical education.

    Dr. Ritesh Tularam, Deputy Chief Education Officer for Technical Education, framed the certification milestone as a celebration of educators’ commitment to continuous professional growth, lifelong learning, and instructional excellence. “The achievement of a CVQ represents a commitment to nationally and regionally recognised occupational standards. It demonstrates that an individual has acquired and can apply the practical skills, knowledge, and competencies required to perform effectively in a particular occupational area,” Dr. Tularam explained. He emphasized that ongoing professional development is critical to equipping teachers to deliver high-quality competency-based training and assessment, encouraging the certified educators to not only apply their new skills in their own classrooms but also mentor peer educators across the sector.

    The CVQ programme at CPCE has a clear developmental history that led to this week’s milestone. In 2023, the college integrated the programme as a mandatory requirement for all students pursuing specializations in Agricultural Science, Industrial Technology, Home Economics, and Visual Arts. That same year, 121 TVET students across CPCE’s seven coastal learning centers were enrolled in the initiative. To meet the requirements for institutional accreditation, CPCE prioritized upskilling its own instructional staff first: in April 2023, 14 full-time and part-time lecturers from across its regional centers completed specialized training in Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) to prepare them to deliver and assess the CVQ curriculum.

    In its early stages, the programme offered seven specialized occupational areas, with students registered through partnerships with leading post-secondary technical institutions across Guyana, including the Linden Technical Institute, Essequibo Technical Institute, Guyana Technical Institute, Beterverwagting Practical Instruction Centre, Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre, and Hopetown Practical Instruction Centre. CPCE began the formal process of becoming a registered CVQ awarding institution in November 2024, and secured full official registration in June 2025. This key regulatory milestone now allows the college to directly register its own students for CVQ certification, eliminating reliance on external partner institutions and significantly strengthening its institutional capacity to manage and expand the programme across the country.

    Through the steady expansion of the CVQ initiative, CPCE is working to build a more highly skilled, credentialed TVET teaching workforce, and improve the quality of practical, competency-based education delivered to students across Guyana. Education officials note that this investment will support the country’s broader economic development goals by ensuring the workforce has the specialized practical skills needed to fill growing demand in technical and vocational sectors.

  • Peace Corps marks 65 years in Eastern Caribbean with tribute to historic St Lucia project

    Peace Corps marks 65 years in Eastern Caribbean with tribute to historic St Lucia project

    Six and a half decades after first launching volunteer operations in the Eastern Caribbean, the Peace Corps marked its 65-year milestone with a flagship anniversary celebration in Saint Lucia that honored decades of cross-cultural partnership, educational progress, and community development. Held earlier this week at Delcer Combined School in the coastal district of Choiseul, the event was organized in close partnership with the government and people of Saint Lucia, drawing high-level officials from both local and U.S. diplomatic circles. Hosted under the unifying theme “Honoring the Past, Marching into the Future,” the celebration wove together reflections on the Peace Corps’ earliest regional projects and commitments to evolving modern goals. A core focus of the commemoration was the iconic JFK Canal, one of the first major infrastructure projects completed by Peace Corps volunteers in Saint Lucia. Constructed in the early 1960s in collaboration with the island’s Ministry of Agriculture, the canal still holds deep cultural and historical significance for local communities decades after its completion. Attendees gained firsthand context on the project’s origins through a pre-recorded keynote interview with former Saint Lucian Minister of Agriculture Sir Calixte George, which was introduced by Acting Director for Agricultural Services Kimuel Jn Baptiste. The conversation traced the Peace Corps’ early entry into Saint Lucia and walked listeners through the collaborative planning and building process that delivered the canal to local residents. Dignitaries in attendance included Saint Lucia’s Acting Governor General His Excellency Felix Finisterre and Kenson Casimir, the island’s Minister for Education, Youth Development, Sports, and Digital Transformation. Senior leadership from the Peace Corps and U.S. diplomatic mission also participated: Karin Sullivan, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Peace Corps Chief of Staff Richard Swarttz, and Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean Country Director Kimberly Will all delivered formal addresses marking the occasion. Beyond historical reflection, the event centered action on two core modern priorities of the Peace Corps: environmental stewardship and educational advancement. Following the formal ceremony, attendees joined a tree-planting initiative on the grounds of Delcer Combined School, where fruit trees were planted to commemorate the organization’s decades of contribution to the region. U.S. Embassy officials noted that the new trees draw water from the same watershed that has fed the JFK Canal since its construction, creating a powerful symbolic link between the Peace Corps’ earliest community projects and its current commitment to environmental sustainability. To highlight the organization’s ongoing educational work, primary school students at the venue performed creative pieces showcasing the Peace Corps’ longstanding efforts to boost English literacy across regional primary schools. The 65th anniversary commemoration was not limited to Saint Lucia. Parallel community activities were rolled out across three other Eastern Caribbean nations hosting Peace Corps volunteers: St. Vincent, Grenada, and Dominica. In those countries, volunteers and local staff partnered with school 4-H clubs and community garden groups to launch new “Literacy Gardens.” These integrated learning spaces combine hands-on environmental education with structured opportunities for students to build and practice reading and core learning skills, merging the Peace Corps’ dual focus on sustainability and education into a single community program. The Peace Corps first launched its permanent service in the Eastern Caribbean on October 15, 1961. Over the 65 years since that launch, more than 4,372 volunteers have completed placements across the region, working alongside local communities on projects spanning agriculture, education, infrastructure, and cultural exchange. As of the anniversary, 44 active volunteers are serving across four Eastern Caribbean islands. Their current work focuses on partnering with local teachers, school principals, and community leaders to strengthen primary-level literacy outcomes and foster sustained people-to-people cultural exchange between the United States and regional communities. Organizers noted that the 65th anniversary served as more than a retrospective celebration: it was an opportunity to reaffirm the Peace Corps’ long-term commitment to collaborative, community-led development across the Eastern Caribbean for decades to come.

  • Three Antigua and Barbuda Board of Education Employees Earn Master’s Degrees

    Three Antigua and Barbuda Board of Education Employees Earn Master’s Degrees

    A small Caribbean educational institution is celebrating a groundbreaking professional development achievement, after three of its long-tenured administrative staff graduated with advanced master’s degrees from Monroe University based in St. Lucia. The Antigua and Barbuda Board of Education has called the accomplishment a historic milestone for the organization, highlighting the employees’ commitment to advancing their skills while serving their local community.

    The three graduating employees bring diverse professional roles to the Board of Education: Valarie Daniel serves as a Levy Supervisor, Priscilla holds the position of Procurement Coordinator, and CollieAnn Gardner works as the organization’s Executive Administrative Coordinator. Each graduate pursued a specialized advanced degree aligned with their professional responsibilities: Daniel and Simon both completed the rigorous requirements for a Master of Business Administration, while Gardner earned a Master of Science in Computer Science with a focused minor specialization in Cybersecurity, a rapidly growing field of critical importance for modern educational institutions managing sensitive student and administrative data.

    In an official congratulatory statement released publicly, the Antigua and Barbuda Board of Education extended enthusiastic praise to the three female graduates, emphasizing that their dedication to academic and professional growth sets a powerful example for fellow staff members and community members across the two-island nation. “We are immensely proud of your accomplishments and the example you set for your colleagues and the wider community,” the statement read. The organization added that the graduates have brought significant honor to their families, coworkers, and the entire education board, noting that their newly earned skills will directly benefit the work of the institution moving forward.

    To mark the celebratory moment, the board summed up the achievement in a catchy, triumphant social media-style slogan: “Three Supervisors. Three Master’s Degrees. One proud organization!” The milestone underscores the growing investment in professional development among public education staff across the Caribbean, as institutions work to build more skilled, tech-capable and effective administrative teams to serve student populations.

  • Technology : Digitization of the school accreditation process

    Technology : Digitization of the school accreditation process

    Against the backdrop of a Haitian education system dominated by private institutions, national education authorities have kicked off a major digital transformation effort to modernize the private school accreditation process, holding a hands-on technical workshop last week in Pétion-ville to roll out new web-based tools.

    Organized by the Directorate for the Accreditation of Private Schools and Partnerships (DAEPP), a division of Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP), the workshop brought together technical staff from across the ministry’s central directorates, specialized units, and departmental education offices (DDEs). The interactive event was structured around practical, participatory training to introduce, test, and launch three new digital modules that correspond to the full lifecycle of private school accreditation: initial authorization to open a new institution, renewal of an operating permit, and issuance of the final accreditation certificate.

    Addressing attendees on behalf of MENFP Director General Osny Jean Marie, Professor Cénatus Pierre, coordinator of the ministry’s General Directorate, underscored the urgent need for this digital overhaul. He noted that Haiti’s education ecosystem serves more than 4 million students across roughly 18,000 schools, and non-public institutions make up the majority of this landscape. As such, formal recognition and consistent regulation of private schools are core to building a well-governed, effective national education system.

    Pierre emphasized that digitizing administrative and technical accreditation procedures is a critical step toward upgrading public services, making them more accessible, transparent, and consistent for school operators and education stakeholders across the country. He also thanked the cross-functional teams that developed the new digital tools, as well as international partners that provided critical technical and financial support for the initiative, including the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the World Bank (WB).

    Following the opening remarks, Walex Pierre, Director of DAEPP and General Coordinator of the MENFP Support Division, outlined the ministry’s clear roadmap for full implementation of the new system. He confirmed that rolling out digital accreditation tools is a top strategic priority for the administration, with two key milestones set: by June 2027, the ministry aims to generate and issue electronic operating permits to 90% of all schools registered in the national Education Management Information System (EMIS), with full deployment of the end-to-end digital accreditation system scheduled for completion by June 2028.

    Beyond rolling out new technology, the workshop served as a critical feedback opportunity: participating ministry staff gained hands-on familiarity with the platform’s new features, and shared on-the-ground input and recommendations to refine the system before full national rollout. The initiative is designed to replace outdated, paper-based accreditation workflows with a streamlined digital process that will cut red tape, reduce administrative delays, and eliminate gaps in oversight that have long hampered Haiti’s education governance.

  • 220th : Students commemorate the assassination of Dessalines

    220th : Students commemorate the assassination of Dessalines

    Across Haiti, public and private educational institutions from all 10 departmental education directorates (DDEs) have come together to honor a defining moment in the nation’s history, launching a two-day series of socio-educational, pedagogical and cultural activities leading up to the 220th anniversary of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines’ assassination.

    Organized under the leadership of Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and guided by a formal circular issued by Minister Vijonet Déméro on October 14, 2026, the events were held on October 15 and 16, two days before the anniversary of Dessalines’ 1806 assassination, and centered on the official theme: “In the Spirit of Dessalines, Let’s Work Hand in Hand for Peace”.

    The flagship national commemoration took place on October 16 at Lycée National de Pétion-ville, a prominent secondary school draped in Haiti’s national colors for the occasion. The event was crafted to help younger generations deepen their understanding of the multifaceted legacy of Dessalines, widely recognized as the founding father of the independent Haitian nation.

    Speaking to assembled students and educators, the Director of Secondary Education underscored the lasting impact of Dessalines’ political leadership, emphasizing that his work was deeply human, radically subversive, and revolutionary for its time. Noted academic Miguel Fleurijean shared reflections on the emperor’s life and legacy, urging contemporary Haitians to embrace Dessalines as a model for collective action. “We must look to Dessalines as a model, so that today we might find the courage to rouse the country from its lethargy,” Fleurijean said, also praising the education ministry’s initiative to bring the commemoration to school campuses nationwide.

    Kendy Nicolas, Director of Fundamental Education, framed the annual remembrance as far more than a historical tribute. Nicolas noted that the anniversary of Dessalines’ assassination acts both as a solemn act of remembrance for the nation’s founding leader and a critical invitation for all Haitians to examine the country’s current trajectory and collective future.

    Étienne Louisseul France, the West Department’s Departmental Director of Education, echoed the call for national unity echoed in the event’s theme, emphasizing that the commemoration is both a historical duty and a catalyst for civic awakening. “This commemoration of the Emperor’s assassination is more than just a duty to remember, it represents a moment for reflection and the awakening of our civic consciousness,” France said, reinforcing the theme’s call for collective action for peace.

    Jean-Marc Charles, principal of host institution Lycée National de Pétion-ville, closed out official remarks by highlighting the full scope of Dessalines’ legacy, also known by his regnal name Jacques I. Charles emphasized Dessalines’ unyielding commitment to securing freedom and dignity for enslaved people across Saint-Domingue and the broader Atlantic world, cementing his status as a global figure in the fight for emancipation.

  • LETTER: UWI Global Campus Students Call for Fairness in the Return of Face-to-Face Examinations

    LETTER: UWI Global Campus Students Call for Fairness in the Return of Face-to-Face Examinations

    Students of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus, the institution’s online learning arm that serves distance learners across the Caribbean and beyond, are pushing for equitable treatment as the university prepares to bring back in-person examinations. Rebranded from the UWI Open Campus to better reflect its global reach, the Global Campus caters predominantly to non-traditional learners: working professionals, caregivers, parents, and community leaders who selected flexible online study because personal and professional responsibilities rule out on-campus attendance. When many current students enrolled, the university committed that their programs would be assessed entirely through coursework, a promise that is now being broken with the upcoming policy shift.

    To clarify the student body’s stance: learners are not opposed to face-to-face examinations. They share the university’s commitment to academic rigor and want their UWI degrees to carry the same prestige and recognition as qualifications earned at the institution’s physical (landed) campuses. What they are demanding is fairness. Currently, Global Campus students are held to the same exam standards as their on-campus peers, but do not receive the same level of teaching support, infrastructure, or decision-making input as learners at landed campuses.

    A side-by-side comparison of the two learning experiences highlights this gap. Students at UWI’s landed campuses have access to full-time lecturers who cover every course unit in depth, alongside regular guided tutorials, peer tutoring, follow-up practice materials, and immediate access to instructors for questions. None of these resources are reliably available to Global Campus learners.

    Most online courses offer just four or fewer live teaching sessions per entire semester, with many sessions rushing through four to six units in one sitting, leaving students to unpack complex content independently. In some cases, live sessions are only used to discuss assignment logistics, with no time dedicated to teaching core course material. Assignments are often posted online with minimal guidance or explanation, and lecturer feedback on student work is consistently delayed. There are no structured tutorials, peer tutoring programs, or dedicated exam preparation sessions for most Global Campus courses.

    As a result, the majority of online learners essentially teach themselves. They must navigate course content, interpret assignment requirements, and develop study strategies with almost no institutional support, leaving many uncertain whether they are focusing on the correct material or using effective study methods. This gap is especially acute for technical subjects like Accounting and Statistics, which require step-by-step instruction and hands-on practice to master. To compensate for the lack of university support, many students turn to free YouTube tutorials or pay out of pocket for external tutoring help — costs that come on top of already high tuition fees of over EC$1,000 per course.

    Students are also pushing back against unfair stereotypes that question the validity of First Class Honours earned through the Global Campus. Learners reject this claim outright, noting that First Class Honours for online students are earned through extraordinary discipline, personal sacrifice, and independent learning, often while balancing full-time work and family caregiving responsibilities. If anything, these achievements demonstrate greater resilience and self-motivation than those of on-campus learners, and deserve equal respect. The double standard of holding online students to the same grading standards without the same support is fundamentally unfair, students argue.

    Compounding these concerns is the fact that student feedback has been dismissed by university administration. The UWI Guild of Students organized a town hall meeting with examination and administrative leadership to share well-documented, evidence-based concerns about the return of face-to-face exams, but few questions received substantive answers. Many concerns were brushed off or cut short, leaving students feeling that administration approached the meeting with a closed mind rather than a willingness to collaborate. It is deeply concerning that a decision with such profound impacts on students’ academic trajectories is moving forward without meaningful input from the people most affected by it, learners say. University leaders must understand the unique reality of Global Campus students before imposing policies that will shape their futures.

    Infrastructure readiness is another major sticking point. The Global Campus operates 17 regional sites to serve its distributed student body, but students confirm only two or three of these sites currently meet the standards required to host secure, functional face-to-face examinations. Reintroducing in-person testing before all sites have adequate space, trained staff, required equipment, and proper security protocols puts students at risk of disruptive testing conditions, unequal access, and unnecessary additional stress. Students question how the university can move forward with the policy when most testing sites are unprepared.

    Overseas students, who make up a significant portion of the Global Campus student body, face additional unfair financial burdens. International learners will be charged an extra US$150 examination fee on top of their existing per-course tuition, and are required to source and secure their own approved proctoring centers. With tuition already exceeding EC$1,000 per course, the added cost with no corresponding improvement in teaching or support has left many international students questioning whether the university prioritizes institutional goals over student success and wellbeing.

    Framing their demands as a collaborative effort to improve the Global Campus, students have put forward eight concrete recommendations for university leadership. First, they call for meaningful engagement: a follow-up meeting with the Guild of Students and the broader student body, written responses to all concerns raised at the original town hall, and a commitment to ongoing, respectful consultation before any further changes to examination policy. Second, they ask that teaching be strengthened before exams are introduced, with regular live lectures covering every unit of every course to ensure students receive proper instruction before being assessed. Third, they demand added academic support, including scheduled online tutorials, peer tutoring, practice exam questions, and revision sessions, starting with high-need technical subjects like Accounting and Statistics. Fourth, they call for improved lecturer responsiveness, with clear standards for feedback turnaround times and dedicated live office hours to eliminate long waits for student questions. Fifth, they ask that the university delay reintroduction until all 17 regional sites are confirmed ready, with a public readiness roadmap published for all students. Sixth, they call for a phased transition, with adequate notice and targeted support for students who enrolled under the original coursework-only assessment model. Seventh, they ask administration to review the new international exam fee, either eliminating or reducing the extra US$150 charge, helping students secure proctoring centers, and offering secure online proctoring as a cost-effective alternative. Finally, they demand clear, accessible public information covering all aspects of the new policy, including exam schedules, venues, costs, and available support services.

    UWI Global Campus students emphasize that they are proud of their institution and deeply committed to upholding academic excellence. They are not asking for lower standards — they are asking for an equal opportunity to meet the existing high standards, and for their voices to be heard and respected by leadership. Students say they look forward to constructive dialogue with university administration to develop solutions that protect both the reputation and quality of UWI degrees and set every Global Campus student up for success, no matter where they live or learn. At its core, the movement rests on one simple principle: equal standards require equal support.

  • Help promised for teachers

    Help promised for teachers

    In a key address during Saturday’s national budget debate, Trinidad and Tobago’s Education Minister Dr. Michael Dowlath has announced two major policy commitments for the nation’s education sector, addressing long-running teacher advocacy and persistent concerns over school safety.

    First, Dowlath confirmed plans to fully restore the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a critical work-based support service that provides confidential, short-term psychological, emotional and social assistance to educators across the country. The Minister outlined the fiscal context of the programme’s recent disruption, explaining that when the current administration took office, it inherited an outstanding EAP debt of $1,996,312 accrued in 2023. Over the past year, the ministry has cleared that entire liability, but service providers notified the government in December 2025 that they would suspend operations without new funding commitments. To resolve the impasse, Dowlath confirmed that the 2026 fiscal budget has already allocated funds to reactivate the programme, and the ministry will move forward with facilitating continued service delivery in the current fiscal year.

    The move comes after months of pressure from the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA), which has repeatedly raised alarms over service disruptions that forced teachers to pay out of pocket for EAP support starting in January 2025. The association had characterized the disruption as a violation of its collective bargaining agreement with the government and had made repeated calls for the programme’s immediate restoration. In a January statement, the Education Ministry already clarified that EAP funding was secured in the 2026 budget and that no teacher would be required to pay for access to the service.

    Alongside the EAP commitment, Dowlath pushed back against opposition criticism of the government’s School-Oriented Policing Initiative, a program launched in September 2025 at 51 public schools across the country to curb rising school violence. Opposition lawmakers have argued that deploying police officers to campuses amounts to criminalizing students, but Dowlath rejected that claim, framing the initiative as a targeted effort to restore safety and order to campuses grappling with persistent violent incidents.

    “Protecting children from violence is not criminalizing children,” Dowlath told parliament. “When parents send their children to school they expect them to be safe. When teachers enter their classrooms, they expect to work without fear of violence or intimidation. What about the children who are bullied, assaulted, and threatened? Don’t they have rights, too?”

    The minister emphasized that the government’s zero-tolerance policy is directed at harmful behavior, not students themselves. “Zero tolerance for violence does not mean zero compassion for children. We recognise that children make mistakes. We recognise that some need counselling, guidance, rehabilitation and a second chance and that is why our approach considers appropriate disciplinary measures,” he explained, adding the government would not apologize for prioritizing student safety or abandon vulnerable learners who need protection.

    Launched at the start of the 2025/2026 school year, the School-Oriented Policing Initiative aims to reduce violent incidents, de-escalate conflict and foster long-term behavioral change among students. In September, Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin, who leads the program, told local outlet *Express* that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) had no immediate plans to expand the unit due to limited resources. Benjamin noted that TTPS will continue collaborating with the Education Ministry to deploy existing officers to the campuses where they are most needed.

    Dowlath also highlighted the $8.033 billion total allocation to the nation’s broader education and training sector in the 2026 budget, noting that the ministry’s core responsibility is to ensure this public investment delivers tangible, meaningful improvements for educators and learners across the country.

  • When home and school unite, the youth shine!

    When home and school unite, the youth shine!

    The debate over where responsibility for child development lies—with families or educational institutions—has long persisted among educators and community leaders. While schools can never replicate the foundational role of a family, and teachers should never be forced to stand in for absent parental guidance, building intentional, sustained partnerships between home and school stands as an irreplaceable pillar of positive youth development. This op-ed from experienced school counsellor Ann-Marie Ballantyne makes a compelling case for collaborative engagement, particularly amid rising concerns over youth violence across the Caribbean, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Nearly 200 years ago, 19th century writer Ellen G. White captured a timeless truth about child rearing: that consistent, intentional instruction and guidance at home is the strongest possible preparation for a child’s academic journey. Yet today, far too many parents walk away from their core responsibility to nurture, discipline, and support their growing children. Many refuse to coordinate with school staff to guide their children’s development, only to shift blame to schools, communities, and every other party when their child faces crisis later on.

    To ground this discussion, Ballantyne reached out to fellow educators across the region to gather their insights on how parent-teacher partnership shapes student well-being and growth. One educator explained that strong collaborative bonds allow parents and teachers to openly share observations of a child’s strengths, ongoing challenges, and developmental progress, enabling targeted, timely support that addresses issues before they escalate. Another educator highlighted a troubling pattern: many parents actively engage with schools to support their children through primary school CPEA exams, but dramatically pull back from involvement as soon as their children transition to secondary school.

    This sharp drop-off in parental engagement during adolescence is particularly damaging, because the teenage years represent one of the most critical developmental stages in a person’s life. Adolescents navigate rapid, overwhelming shifts across every dimension of their lives: physical growth, changing social dynamics, expanding intellectual capacity, and turbulent emotional shifts. To navigate these changes healthily, they need consistent, intentional support from responsible, caring adults in both the home and school setting.

    Ongoing collaboration between parents and teachers delivers tangible, far-reaching benefits for both student well-being and academic performance. When children see that both their families and educators are invested in their whole-person success, they gain greater motivation to learn and grow. Shared investment also helps young people build a strong sense of personal responsibility and accountability. Simple, consistent actions from parents go a long way: regularly checking homework, monitoring school attendance and punctuality, attending PTA meetings, maintaining open communication with teaching staff, checking in on a teenager’s overall well-being, and celebrating their effort along the way.

    For their part, teachers also bear a responsibility to keep parents actively informed—not only to share concerns about problem behavior, but to highlight student wins and positive growth. When a child feels seen, loved, and supported by both their family and their school community, they are far less likely to turn to harmful behaviors such as bullying, substance misuse, and violent acting out.

    Rising school violence has become an urgent public concern across many Caribbean nations in recent years, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Problematic youth behavior does not develop overnight: it is often the product of disconnection between families, schools, and young people. Building strong, trusting relationships across these three groups is one of the most powerful tools to address the current surge in youth-related crime.

    This perspective aligns with recent research from leading regional academic Professor Donna-Maria Maynard of the University of the West Indies, who has spent years studying adolescent development and the root causes of youth behavior from a psychological framework. As recently as March 2025, Maynard delivered a public lecture at the Cave Hill Faculty of Humanities and Education titled *Rethinking youth violence in the Caribbean: A psychological perspective*, where she outlined her key findings. Maynard confirmed what many on the ground have observed: the Caribbean is currently facing an unprecedented rise in violent crime involving young people. Beyond outlining the root causes of youth violence, she highlighted solutions that center closer examination of core social institutions—including families and schools—and how these structures shape young people’s life trajectories. She also emphasized the critical need for early intervention in school settings, to identify and support at-risk youth before harmful behaviors escalate into crisis.

    When parents and teachers work together, with shared commitment to young people’s success, they build a strong foundation that supports healthy child development and paves the way for a safer, more inclusive, civil society. Revisiting Ellen G. White’s long-held observations confirms this core truth: children who develop habits of obedience and self-control at home enter school far better prepared to thrive, avoid many of the common temptations facing young people, and become a positive support to their teachers and peers. For young people who do not receive that consistent foundation at home, White also urged teachers to approach their work with empathy and kindness, noting that gentle, encouraging guidance can be a transformative blessing for vulnerable youth.

  • Graduates urged to adapt as AI advances

    Graduates urged to adapt as AI advances

    At the 2026 graduation ceremony held Saturday at The University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill campus, university chancellor Dr. Dodridge Miller delivered a keynote address that centered on the urgent need for new graduates to adapt to a rapidly shifting global workforce reshaped by breakthrough technologies. In his speech under the theme “Built to Adapt, Ready to Lead – The Spirit of a Generation Rising amid Unprecedented Times”, Miller outlined how emerging innovations including artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology are rewriting industry standards at a pace never seen before, with automation steadily taking over roles and tasks that were once exclusively executed by human workers.

  • UNICARIBE wins national cybersecurity competition by 9 points as top five finish within 84

    UNICARIBE wins national cybersecurity competition by 9 points as top five finish within 84

    In a tense, closely fought three-day final tournament held at a Santo Domingo hotel, Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE) secured the top spot at the 2026 Intercollegiate Cybersecurity Capture the Flag (CTF) competition by a razor-thin nine-point margin.

    The champion team finished with an overall score of 3,295 points, edging out second-place finisher Universidad Central del Este (UCE) which ended the competition with 3,286 points. The tight finish extended across the entire top tier of competitors: all five highest-ranking teams finished within an 84-point spread of one another, showcasing the high caliber of cybersecurity talent across Dominican higher education institutions.

    Thirteen Dominican universities sent student teams to compete in the second iteration of the annual tournament, which was run as an official feature of ITLA Security Fest 2026 by co-organizers Pentraze Cybersecurity and the Instituto Tecnológico de Las Américas (ITLA). Leading financial and industry partners Banco Popular and the SANS Institute stepped in as official sponsors for the event.

    For context, CTF, short for Capture the Flag, is a competitive cybersecurity format that pits teams against a series of hands-on security challenges. Each successfully solved challenge produces a unique verification code called a “flag,” with point values assigned based on the difficulty of the task. For this year’s competition, Pentraze cybersecurity specialists designed all challenges to mirror real-world cyber threats and work scenarios across six core cybersecurity domains: web exploitation, mobile exploitation, digital forensics, malware analysis, binary exploitation, and reverse engineering.

    The tournament’s qualification process kicked off with an online individual preliminary round held from September 18 to 20. Advancing teams moved on to the team-based final, which ran from October 14 to 16 at Santo Domingo’s Hotel Catalonia. Each finalist team fielded 10 student participants, and entry to the competition was open to all participating institutions free of charge. Strict competition rules prohibited any external assistance, as well as the sharing of solutions or hints between competing teams.

    Following the final score reveal, UNICARIBE Chancellor José Alejandro Aybar M. officially named the nine members of the institution’s winning roster: Carlos Efraín Guillermo Rodríguez, Mariobanex de Jesús Viñas Castro, Francis Manuel Segura Feliz, Oliver Gabriel de León Araujo, Ronald Sebastián Serre Lorenzo, Ricardo Pérez, Winnier Antonio Alcántara Freeman, Julio Edward Correa Javier, and Franley Yoskar Soto Mejía. The team prepared for the tournament under the guidance of Gary Cabrera Columna, UNICARIBE’s vice chancellor for digital transformation.

    In recognition of their historic win, Aybar announced that the university will award full academic scholarships to every member of the champion team.

    Aybar emphasized the collective nature of the competition’s success, noting that the incredibly narrow margins at the top of the leaderboard meant the entire Dominican higher education ecosystem should share in the achievement. In addition to UNICARIBE and UCE, the third through fifth place spots went to Universidad APEC (UNAPEC), Universidad Domínico Americano (UNICDA), and host institution ITLA, respectively.

    “Dominican higher education has won, with all the talent its students have shown and that our institutions help to develop,” Aybar said in a post-competition address.

    He also framed the growing event as a key pipeline for industry employers, noting that “Companies can find the talent they need to staff their cybersecurity teams” by engaging with competitors at the annual tournament.