AI being added to school curriculum

Artificial intelligence (AI) is coming to classrooms in Barbados, as education officials work to ensure students are not left behind in the digital age.

AI is set to be introduced into the secondary school curriculum through a new initiative launched on Wednesday by the Ministry of Educational Transformation and the National Transformation Initiative (NTI). In the future, students may leave school certified in AI in addition to their CXCs.

The programme aims to expose students to AI in a structured and responsible way, preparing them to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

Assistant Director of the NTI with responsibility for partnerships and Coursera Client Success, Rafael Saul, said the initiative reflects the country’s commitment to keeping pace with global education trends.

“We’re always mindful of global trends and our desire to ensure that Barbados is not in any way left behind,” Saul said, citing countries like the UAE, China, South Korea and Finland that have already made AI education mandatory across all school levels.

The NTI will capitalise on the government’s access to Coursera’s catalogue of more than 13 500 courses, tailoring content to suit the local education system. The first step is the rollout of Introduction to Generative AI, a one-hour course designed by Google that covers the fundamentals of AI, model types and real-world applications.

“It’s a very interactive experience as all of our NTI Coursera courses are,” Saul said. He said the authorities deliberately selected a course that can fit neatly within class time, that is industry-led and asynchronous, which gives educators flexibility to pair it with in-person instruction. 

The course will be introduced in IT classes for students in fourth to sixth forms and will serve as the entry point into a broader four-course Google specialisation. Future modules will include Introduction to Large Language Models, Introduction to Responsible AI, and Applying AI Principles with Google Cloud.

Saul said the long-term vision is for students to graduate with more than traditional academic qualifications.

“Yes, with their CXCs, with their CAPE certifications,” he said, “but also, and this is very exciting for us, students will now have the opportunity to leave secondary school with a professional certification from Google in artificial intelligence.”

Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman endorsed the programme, describing it as part of the ministry’s push to modernise education and equip young Barbadians with globally competitive skills.

“The future of education requires now that our young people… must be able to navigate the global space that is moving at a quick pace,” he said. 

(SB)