Carib Scope

分类： society

  • BUT blames funding gap, closures for private schools outperforming public

    BUT blames funding gap, closures for private schools outperforming public

    Following the release of 2025 Common Entrance examination results that placed private schools clearly ahead of their public-sector counterparts, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) is pressing the nation’s Ministry of Education Transformation for urgent answers about the growing performance divide between the two education systems.

    BUT President Rudy Lovell is pushing for full transparency from the ministry, arguing that any direct comparison of outcomes between private and public schools is inherently unfair given the stark, well-documented gaps in resourcing, parental participation and operational stability that separate the two sectors. The results released Monday made headlines for one key data point: St Gabriel’s, a private Anglican institution, produced both the top-performing boy and top-performing girl in this year’s Common Entrance examination. Notably, the ministry did not release any additional granular data breaking down top-scoring student distribution between private and public schools, leaving broader trends unconfirmed.

    “There are multiple external factors that could drive this performance gap between public and private education institutions,” Lovell stated in his address to reporters. “We need the ministry to share its own analysis of what factors are leading to private schools consistently outperforming public ones.”

    While Lovell was quick to affirm that teaching staff in both sectors hold equally high qualifications, he outlined three key structural advantages that benefit private schools, starting with funding and resource allocation. This point comes despite Barbados consistently allocating roughly 5% of its gross domestic product to public education, a share that ranks among the highest for North American and Caribbean nations. Even with this substantial government investment, Lovell claims that public school teachers are frequently forced to spend personal funds to cover basic classroom needs that go unmet by public budgets.

    “From our perspective, private schools operate with far more robust resourcing than public institutions,” Lovell explained. “Public school teachers already contribute a huge amount of personal funding to keep their classrooms running, purchasing essential learning materials out of their own pockets. We have yet to see whether private school teachers face the same financial burden, and we want clarity on that.”

    A second key disparity Lovell highlighted is the level of parental engagement. While public schools do receive support from caregivers, he noted that this involvement pales in comparison to the consistent, heavy participation seen in most private school communities, a gap that directly impacts student outcomes.

    The third and most disruptive disadvantage facing public schools, Lovell argued, is ongoing infrastructural and environmental challenges that repeatedly force campus closures. These unplanned shutdowns have severely disrupted the academic calendar for public school students, a crisis that almost never impacts private school operations.

    “Any head-to-head comparison of results is unfair when both sectors follow the exact national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education, but operate in completely different conditions,” Lovell emphasized. “When can anyone remember the last time a private school was forced to close for environmental or infrastructural reasons? This year alone, public schools have faced repeated closures tied to these issues, interrupting learning week after week.”

    Beyond the private-public performance divide, Lovell also raised alarm over the persistent downward trend in male student performance relative to female peers. When asked whether current government efforts to support male learners are sufficient, Lovell replied that far more action is needed, and called on the ministry to implement a full overhaul of public school staffing frameworks.

    A core demand from the BUT is the introduction of specialized teaching roles in core subject areas across public primary schools. “We want to see public schools bring on specialized teachers focused specifically on high-priority subjects like mathematics, English, and reading,” Lovell urged. “This targeted expertise would help address performance gaps and support all learners, including our male students who have been falling behind in recent years.”

  • Family Alleges Autistic Kids Were Discriminated During Graduation Ceremony

    Family Alleges Autistic Kids Were Discriminated During Graduation Ceremony

    A preschool graduation ceremony held at Belize City’s ACC Church has sparked heated accusations of ableism and exclusion, after three young autistic graduates were allegedly pushed out of public view during Friday’s event.

    Relatives of the children, who attend Anglican Diocesan Preschool, say the three students were intentionally separated from their peer group, placed in a hidden seating section far behind the main graduating class block. This positioning left the children completely out of sight for family members, no matter whether relatives were seated in the front rows at the venue or the back sections.

    The aunt of one of the autistic graduates told local reporters that the unusual seating arrangement triggered immediate alarm and frustration among the families. “Right away, I was upset. What are you trying to do here? What message are you sending to parents who have worked so hard to get their children to this milestone? Yes, it is just preschool, but for our families, this is a huge achievement worth celebrating,” she explained in an interview.

    The situation worsened during the traditional graduation march, when other parents stood in the venue aisles to take photos of their own children, creating an additional physical barrier that completely blocked any view of the three separated students. By the time the ceremony reached the seating portion, the children’s positions at the far edge of the venue meant no one in the audience could see them, the aunt added.

    Beyond the problematic seating arrangement at the graduation, the families are also raising broader questions about whether educational institutions in Belize are doing enough to accommodate and support neurodivergent students on the autism spectrum.

    The aunt noted that public discourse has appeared to shift toward greater inclusion in recent years, as autism diagnoses have become more common across the country. But she argues that most schools have failed to keep up with this shift, failing to provide staff with the proper accessibility and neurodiversity training needed to support autistic students.

    What is more, the family claims that the Anglican Diocesan Preschool has repeatedly ignored repeated requests for accessibility accommodations for their child throughout the school year, long before the graduation ceremony controversy.

    Local outlet News 5 has confirmed that it reached out to leadership at Anglican Diocesan Preschool to request a response to the allegations, and as of this reporting, no official statement from the school has been released.

  • EC$1,500 Stolen From Fort Road Business Office

    EC$1,500 Stolen From Fort Road Business Office

    A local business located on Fort Road has become the target of a theft incident, where perpetrators made off with a total of 1,500 Eastern Caribbean dollars in cash from the establishment’s office space. Local law enforcement agencies have confirmed that they received the official report of the incident recently, and have launched an ongoing investigation to identify and apprehend the culprits behind the burglary.

    According to preliminary information released by authorities, the break-in occurred at some point when the office was closed and unoccupied, which gave thieves the opportunity to gain unauthorized access to the premises. The stolen funds were being held at the business for daily operational purposes, and the loss has created unexpected financial disruption for the small commercial operation.

    Local police are currently reviewing any available security camera footage from the surrounding area and interviewing potential witnesses who may have seen suspicious activity near the Fort Road location around the time of the incident. Investigators are also asking anyone in the community with relevant information about the theft to come forward and assist with their inquiry, to help recover the stolen money and hold those responsible accountable.

    This incident has drawn attention to security concerns among local business owners in the Fort Road area, with many considering stepping up their own workplace security measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring at their establishments.

  • Regering wil achterstallige betalingen examinatoren uiterlijk vrijdag afhandelen

    Regering wil achterstallige betalingen examinatoren uiterlijk vrijdag afhandelen

    A months-long payment dispute that sparked widespread frustration among Suriname’s education sector is moving toward resolution after President Jennifer Simons led emergency high-level talks with education union representatives on June 23. The meeting, held at the President’s Cabinet, was convened directly in response to growing discontent over the failure to complete outstanding overdue payments to hundreds of examiners and committee members tied to national education assessments.

    In attendance alongside President Simons were key cabinet officials: Dirk Currie, Minister of Education, Science and Culture; Marinus Bee, Minister of Home Affairs; and representatives from the government’s central negotiation body. The meeting was organized and its outcomes announced by Suriname’s Communications Service.

    The root of the dispute stretches back to an agreement signed earlier this June between the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the country’s leading education unions. Under that initial deal, all overdue payments to eligible education workers—including examiners, committee members, and a group of teachers based in Moengotapoe—were scheduled to be disbursed starting June 1, with full completion promised by the end of the month during a follow-up meeting on June 12. As of the June 23 emergency summit, however, more than 300 examiners had still not received their owed compensation.

    Minister Currie acknowledged that bureaucratic red tape within the national government is a persistent source of payment delays, a issue that has fueled consistent irritation among union leadership. To address both the current backlog and prevent future disruptions, two key structural changes were agreed upon during the talks. First, the Ministry of Education will now hold weekly coordination meetings with education union representatives to flag and resolve bottlenecks early. Second, a permanent cross-government consultation framework will be established, bringing in officials from the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the President’s Cabinet for all payment-related discussions. Currie explained that cross-ministerial inclusion is necessary, as many payment processes and approvals span multiple government departments and occasionally require formal sign-off from the presidency itself.

    Vincent Fernandes, Director of Finance at the Ministry of Finance and Planning, detailed the specific administrative bottleneck that caused the current delay. Before any payments can be processed, rosters of eligible workers submitted by the Ministry of Education must first go through a formal verification check by the ministry’s Accounting Department. Fernandes noted that inconsistencies between submitted rosters and verified records are a recurring issue, and these discrepancies were the direct cause of the current holdup. Following the emergency talks, all parties have committed to completing all required administrative processing by the end of Friday at the latest.

    Union leaders have expressed cautious confidence that the agreement will resolve the long-running backlog. Reshma Mangre, chair of the Suriname Teachers’ Union/Alliance of Suriname Teachers (BvL/ALS), stated that unions trust the president-led process will deliver results for the unpaid examiners. She did, however, note that a previously proposed cross-stakeholder commission including union and ministry representatives has not yet been formally established, leaving the sector without sustained structural coordination and leaving unions often unclear about the status of payment processes.

    Bernice Barron, chair of the Federation of Suriname Teachers’ Organizations (FOLS), echoed that confidence, adding that the majority of eligible workers will see their back pay processed under the new deadline. “There is a small subset of workers that are not yet eligible for payment at this stage,” Barron explained. “Officials are currently working directly with that group to identify and resolve their individual issues, and the minister will send formal correspondence to each of them outlining next steps. For everyone else, the process is now on track to be finalized.”

  • Vincy Driver Who Left The Scene After Crash arrested At Airport, Charged After Injuring Cyclist Tahje Browne

    Vincy Driver Who Left The Scene After Crash arrested At Airport, Charged After Injuring Cyclist Tahje Browne

    A cross-border manhunt has come to a close after authorities detained a Vincentian national at Antigua and Barbuda’s V.C. Bird International Airport, just as he attempted to flee the country following a high-profile hit-and-run crash that left elite local cyclist Tahje Browne with severe injuries. Kishroy Harry, the 32-year-old suspect, now faces four criminal charges connected to the June 20 incident on Sir Sydney Walling Highway, one of the island nation’s busiest arterial routes. The charges against him include dangerous driving, operating a motor vehicle without the registered owner’s consent, driving with no valid driver’s license, and failing to carry mandatory motor vehicle insurance.

    Law enforcement officials have laid out detailed allegations outlining the sequence of events of the collision. Investigators confirm that Harry was behind the wheel of a Toyota Vitz when the vehicle struck Browne as the cyclist traveled along the highway near the headquarters of the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board. In what authorities describe as an attempt to cover up his involvement, Harry allegedly discarded the clothing he was wearing at the time of the crash before making plans to leave the country. His escape attempt was cut short on Sunday, when airport security flagged him before he could board an outgoing flight, leading to his immediate arrest and official charging.

    In the immediate aftermath of the collision, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne publicly called on the at-large driver to turn himself in to police, condemning the decision to flee the crash scene as morally unacceptable. Speaking during an interview on the popular “Browne and Browne” radio program just one day after the incident, the Prime Minister emphasized that the country’s top competitive cyclist had escaped death by a narrow margin. “Our best cyclist got hit by a vehicle this morning, and he is lucky to be alive,” the Prime Minister stated, noting that early medical assessments confirmed Browne’s injuries, while serious, were not fatal. He went on to criticize the driver’s post-crash actions sharply, saying, “It is extremely unfortunate that that person would have left the scene. That was definitely very cruel of that individual and that person needs to present himself to law enforcement.”

    The Prime Minister also used the high-profile incident to renew longstanding public safety appeals to all motorists across the country, urging them to prioritize responsible driving habits and avoid reckless speeding. He reminded drivers that careless and dangerous operation of motor vehicles does not just put the driver at risk, but endangers the lives of all other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Harry is scheduled to make his first official court appearance before the Magistrate’s Court this coming Wednesday, where the case against him will move into the formal legal process.

  • NSWMA Says Jennings Waste Collection Delayed Until Wednesday

    NSWMA Says Jennings Waste Collection Delayed Until Wednesday

    Residents in the community of Jennings are adjusting their schedules this week after local waste management officials announced an unexpected delay to regular garbage pickup services. The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), the government body responsible for residential waste collection across Antigua and Barbuda, confirmed the disruption in an official public notice released on Tuesday, noting that all delayed collections are now projected to be finished no later than Wednesday, June 24.

    In the statement, the NSWMA shared that its operational teams are actively working through the backlog of uncollected waste to resolve the disruption and return the community’s waste service to its consistent, scheduled routine as soon as possible. The authority extended a formal apology to Jennings residents for the inconvenience caused by the unplanned delay, and expressed gratitude to local households for their understanding and patience as collection crews work to clear the outstanding routes.

    Beyond the update for Jennings, the NSWMA also issued a general reminder to all residents across the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. In the event that any household experiences a missed pickup or extended delay to their regular waste collection service, residents are encouraged to reach out directly to the authority’s dedicated customer service hotline at 562-1347 to report the issue. The agency reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to addressing all service disruptions quickly and effectively to maintain clean, healthy communities across the country.

  • Kenyatta Benjamin to Be Arraigned June 30 in Fatal Andre Simon Crash Case

    Kenyatta Benjamin to Be Arraigned June 30 in Fatal Andre Simon Crash Case

    Nearly two years after a devastating Mother’s Day road collision claimed the life of elite national cyclist Andre Simon, the man charged in connection with the fatal crash is set to make his next court appearance for formal arraignment next month. Kenyatta Benjamin, a resident of Hatton, appeared before High Court Justice Ann Marie Smith this Monday, where the judicial schedule for the next procedural step was officially set. On June 30, Benjamin will formally answer the charge of dangerous driving brought against him, which stems from the 2022 incident that left Simon critically injured and ultimately dead. If Benjamin enters a plea of not guilty during the upcoming arraignment, court officials will move forward with setting a date for a full public trial.

    The tragic incident unfolded in May 2022 along the Sir George Walter Highway, during a scheduled training ride for a group of four competitive cyclists. Prosecutors’ case rests on the allegation that Benjamin’s vehicle collided with all four cyclists who were on the road that day. The cyclists involved were Andre Simon, Sean Weathered, Ghere Coates, and Tiziano Rosignoli, all of whom were rushed to a local medical facility immediately after the crash for emergency care.

    Three of the four riders — Weathered, Coates, and Rosignoli — eventually made full recoveries from their injuries and were released from care within a short period. Simon, however, was not as fortunate. The 36-year-old competitor, who left behind one child, suffered catastrophic, life-altering damage in the impact, including severe traumatic brain injury and life-threatening internal bleeding. He spent multiple weeks in the Intensive Care Unit at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre as medical teams worked to stabilize his condition. Due to the severity of his injuries, Simon was airlifted to the TIRR Memorial Hermann specialized trauma care facility in Houston, Texas on July 2, 2022, to access advanced treatment that was not available locally.

    Despite months of intensive medical intervention in the United States, Simon succumbed to his injuries roughly 13 months after the initial collision, becoming the fatal fatality of the crash. Now, after nearly two years of procedural progress, Benjamin is scheduled to return to the High Court for his long-awaited arraignment on the charge connected to Simon’s death.

  • Ministry of Equity, Cacoa Sainte Lucie honour 20 Canaries fathers

    Ministry of Equity, Cacoa Sainte Lucie honour 20 Canaries fathers

    In a heartfelt Father’s Day celebration centered on unsung community contributions, a Saint Lucian government department has highlighted the critical role fathers play in family and societal development by recognizing 20 committed men from the Canaries region.

    The special recognition event was a collaborative effort between the Community Services Unit under the Department of Equity, Social Justice, Gender and Older Persons, and Cacoa Sainte Lucie, a prominent local chocolate producer based in Belvedere Canaries. Unlike generic Father’s Day observances, this initiative intentionally spotlighted working-class fathers from diverse everyday professions, including fishermen, small-scale farmers, bus drivers, and other laborers who form the backbone of local communities.

    Each of the 20 honored fathers left the celebration with a curated gift box of handcrafted local chocolate, and all attendees were treated to a complimentary three-course Father’s Day lunch, fully sponsored by partnering company Cacoa Sainte Lucie.

    Lyncia Antoine, social transformation officer covering the Anse La Raye and Canaries districts, explained that the event was designed to draw attention to contributions that frequently go unacknowledged. Too often, the consistent, tireless work of fathers and male community role models flies under the radar, she noted, making targeted recognition a necessary priority.

    “This initiative is about showing appreciation to the men who work tirelessly to support their families and contribute to the development of their communities,” Antoine stated in remarks during the event. “Fathers play a vital role in building strong families and vibrant communities, and it is important that we take the time to celebrate their efforts.”

    Department officials emphasized that the gathering reflects the Ministry of Equity’s core commitment to fostering connected, resilient communities, strengthening family structures, and centering inclusive recognition for all groups within Saint Lucian society. Beyond a single day of celebration, the event also reinforces the widespread, foundational impact fathers have on shaping the fabric of the island nation’s social development.

    The Ministry of Equity extended formal gratitude to Cacoa Sainte Lucie for its partnership and sponsorship, noting that the company’s support turned the initiative into a meaningful, memorable experience for the fathers who were nominated for the honor.

  • Family of Abaco man missing two weeks appeal to the public for help

    Family of Abaco man missing two weeks appeal to the public for help

    For nearly a month, the relatives of a missing Abaco native have turned to the local community and social media for answers, after the 60-something truck driver vanished without a trace following a routine workday. Jean Honoret, an experienced truck driver in his early 60s, was last spotted on June 9, when he checked in for his scheduled shift but never made it back to his residence, according to close family members.

    Wilfred Toussaint, Honoret’s cousin who has shared an unusually close bond with him for years, described their daily routine of checking in with one another, multiple times a day in most cases. The pair spoke the day before Honoret disappeared, and Toussaint said nothing seemed off or alarming during their casual conversation, which unfolded just like any other. “We live like brothers,” Toussaint shared in an interview. “Every morning we check in, ask how the other is doing, what’s going on. We even crack a few jokes. By 5:30 every day, one of us always calls the other to make sure everything is okay.”

    It was that broken routine that first raised Toussaint’s alarm: when he did not hear from Honoret at their usual time the next day, he knew something was wrong. Toussaint, who currently resides in New Providence, told reporters he has no clear idea what could have happened to his cousin. “I don’t know if he’s still alive, or if someone hurt him. I really don’t have any answers,” he said, but added that the entire family is still clinging to hope that Honoret will be found safe.

    As the search drags on without official updates, local residents have taken to sharing posts across social media platforms, asking anyone with even small scraps of information about Honoret’s whereabouts to come forward. Toussaint also shared one key detail that has added to the family’s uncertainty: he later learned that a woman who claims Honoret owes her money showed up at his home looking for him shortly after he went missing.

    Toussaint confirmed he is making plans to travel to Abaco in the coming days to join the search for answers personally. When contacted by The Tribune, Chief Superintendent Michael Thurston, the top-ranking police official overseeing Abaco, confirmed that as of the outlet’s latest inquiry, Honoret’s family had not yet filed an official missing person report with local law enforcement.

  • Comments

    Comments

    Amid growing public calls for greater transparency around convicted sex offenders in The Bahamas, the leader of the country’s leading anti-violence advocacy organization is pushing back against opening the national Sexual Offenders Register to general public access, warning that such a move in this small island nation would backfire, fuel violent vigilante action, undermine official monitoring efforts, and ultimately fail to deliver on its core goal of protecting children.

    Sandra Dean-Patterson, director of the Crisis Centre – one of the earliest and most vocal supporters of creating the registry – made her position clear in new comments responding to a recent public incident that reignited debate over access rules. The debate flared after an Eyewitness News report featured a local mother who claimed a convicted paedophile was targeting her 10-year-old child. The mother said she had reported her concerns to police, only to be told that officers could not take action because she had not caught the suspect acting illegally.

    Dean-Patterson emphasized that her organization has long advocated for the creation of a formal sexual offenders registry, driven by alarming rises in reported child sexual abuse and exploitation across The Bahamas. The Crisis Centre’s core priority, she said, has always been to gain clear insight into the scope of child victimization and build a structured framework to address the crisis. Established under the 2014 Sexual Offenders Amendment Act and officially brought into force in July 2019, the registry represented a long-sought policy win for the advocacy group. In 2022, the government advanced the system further by digitizing records, launching a dedicated access kiosk at the Wulff Road Police Station, and activating a fully staffed management unit within the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, which has overseen the registry since July 2021. Under current rules, all offenders sentenced after the 2019 enforcement date are required to register their residential address within 72 hours of release, and notify authorities immediately of any changes of address or travel lasting more than seven days.

    Despite the Crisis Centre’s full support for the registry itself, Dean-Patterson said the organization remains firmly opposed to opening the database to the general public. She stressed that The Bahamas’ small population and geographic size sets it apart from larger nations with public registries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where public identification does not always produce the desired protective outcomes. Instead, access should be strictly limited to official agencies with a direct mandate for child protection and offender monitoring: the national police force, social services, and the correctional and prison system.

    Drawing on case studies from larger jurisdictions, Dean-Patterson noted that public access has repeatedly led to unintended harmful consequences. In parts of the U.S. such as Miami, for example, strict residency restrictions barring registered sex offenders from living near schools, parks, and other public spaces have pushed offenders into unregulated, isolated areas that make consistent monitoring far harder for authorities. Dean-Patterson also highlighted that vigilante violence and retaliation against offenders are well-documented outcomes of public registries in other countries, outcomes that she said would disrupt rehabilitation and monitoring work in The Bahamas. National Security Minister Wayne Munroe echoed this risk in 2022, noting that courts in some jurisdictions have removed offenders from registries entirely when public retaliation has been documented, eroding the system’s overall effectiveness.

    Under the current restricted model, Dean-Patterson explained, the burden of monitoring released offenders falls directly to trained, mandated officials, who are tasked with implementing appropriate public safety measures as soon as an offender is released from custody. She acknowledged, however, that this framework relies on one critical factor: public trust in the government agencies tasked with managing the system. Dean-Patterson admitted that public confidence in the ability of authorities to protect children from repeat offenders is not as strong as it needs to be, and that the debate over access rules will need to continue as the country works to address child sexual violence. She ended by reaffirming the Crisis Centre’s unwavering opposition to all forms of child violation, saying the organization will remain vocal and firm in its commitment to ending child abuse across the archipelago.