#2022YearinReview – IDB questionnaire Creates biggest Test for Education Ministry in 2022

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By Randy Bennett

In what was undoubtedly the most talked about story of 2022 and one of the biggest controversies to hit Barbados, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) survey administered to some Barbadian first-formers captured the attention of the country.

Barbados TODAY broke the story on October 5 after several disgruntled parents reached out to express their concern about the survey being taken by their children without their knowledge.

What was then described as a computer science pre-test, turned out to be a questionnaire containing almost 300 questions which was given to over 700 first-form students at five secondary schools across the island.

The IDB ‘pre-test’ quizzed the children on their sexuality, gender identity and substance abuse as well as personal information about their parents.

Parents were especially upset that they had not been informed about the test and had not given any permission for their children to be questioned on such sensitive topics.

Like a wildfire, the topic immediately engulfed the air waves, dominating radio programmes and talk shows, eventually making headlines regionally and internationally.

There was no immediate response from Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Kay McConney or Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw.

However, the parents demanded answers and along with members of the public, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) and the Barbados National Parent Teacher Association (BNPTA) along with several child advocates, called for the Ministry of Education to provide an explanation for the apparent breach.

In a surprising move, the following day on October 5, the IDB accepted full responsibility and issued an apology for the test being administered after facing massive backlash.

Sources told Barbados TODAY the apology was demanded by McConney following a meeting with IDB officials at the Ministry of Education’s Constitution Road headquarters.

In that apology, the IDB admitted that the Ministry of Education had asked for the “questions at the centre of concern” to be removed, but that request had not been honoured.

“The Inter-American Development Bank expresses regret that a survey administered by the bank to children in the Barbados secondary school system has offended many Barbadians.

“The bank sincerely apologises, but stresses that no offence was intended. The questions at the centre of concern, to which the Ministry of Education had objected prior to the administering of the survey and which were inadvertently left in the paper, have been removed,” the bank said in the apology.

“The IDB recognises its position as a development partner with the Government of Barbados, with a long and mutually respectful relationship, and assures Barbadians it would not deliberately engage in any practice that would harm that relationship.”

In an initial apology from the IDB that was rejected by the Ministry of Education, the international organisation claimed the questions were in line with international standards.

Chief Education Officer, Dr Archer-Bradshaw and other officials from the Ministry of Education subsequently spoke with parents in a Zoom meeting, where she gave them the assurance the matter would be investigated.

However, despite that promise, several parents along with president of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Dr Ronnie Yearwood, called for both McConney and Dr Archer-Bradshaw to step down or be fired, saying Barbadians had lost confidence in them.

But in a televised press conference days later McConney made it clear she had no intention of resigning and she apologised on behalf of the Ministry of Education over the test debacle.

Various religious groups also condemned the contents of the test and questioned why such sensitive information was being elicited from minors.

They also expressed concern regarding what would be done with the information that was collected. 

Several upset parents, clearly not satisfied with the ministry’s response, took steps to file a class action lawsuit against Government.

That decision was strongly supported by human rights expert Felicia Dujon. She expressed concern that the rights of the children who took the test were violated. 

And while no such action has been officially taken to date, attorney-at-law Michael Lashley, King’s Counsel, confirmed that his services have been retained in the matter and that they are still proceeding with the lawsuit. 

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb