Classrooms to get creative as education reform continues

Barbados’ classrooms are set to move beyond memorising facts and repeating lessons.

Instead, students will be encouraged to explore ideas, work in teams, use technology, and learn by doing.

It’s all part of a national push toward more interactive, student-driven education announced Friday by Minister ofEducational Transformation Chad Blackman at a thanksgiving service at Sanctuary Empowerment Centre to mark the start of Education Month.

Speaking under the theme Nothing is Impossible, Blackman said the country must leave behind rote learning and embrace approaches that spark creativity, curiosity and real-world skills.

“The days of a teacher standing in front of a class and simply going through A to Z are over,” he said. “Students must now be able to present, create, use technology, and learn through projects. School must be fun, interactive, and focused on unlocking each child’s potential.”

Blackman added that this shift requires modern school plants to support the new methods.

“Our school plants must be fit for purpose, modern, and clean. They are places where teachers spend their careers, where children grow, and where communities engage. That means upgrading every school over time so that they truly support 21st-century learning,” he said, admitting the transition would bring some disruption but was essential.

The education minister believes that reforms are not just about the present, but about preparing children for an unpredictable future.

“We do not yet know the jobs, technologies, or challenges they will face, but we know they will need to be adaptable, creative, resilient and grounded in values that guide them through uncertainty,” he explained.

Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer- Bradshaw also gave remarks emphasising that transformation is not only about new policies or classrooms, but also about ensuring that children feel loved, included and guided.

Quoting an African proverb, she said: “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth. If we embrace them, if we create a village where every child is seen, heard, valued, and supported, then we will set their hearts ablaze, not with anger, but with purpose, pride and hope.”

Archer-Bradshaw stressed that education must be fair, inclusive, relevant and modern.

“Every child, no matter their background or circumstance, deserves a chance to succeed.

Innovation is not optional; it is essential if we are to prepare them for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities,” she said.

The education chief also warned that neglecting the moral dimension of education would have consequences for society. “To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society,” she said, quoting Theodore Roosevelt. “Children may forget the lessons we teach them, but they will never forget how we made them feel.”

The service was filled with songs of praise and thanksgiving, musical renditions and a steelpan solo.

Guest speaker Joel Manning challenged educators and leaders to put God first as they advance the ministry’s efforts for education transformation.

“Transformation starts with God,” he said.

“Before we make a decision in education, we must first seek God’s authority. Putting God back into the classroom and back into ourselves is essential if we want true transformation.

Anything is possible when we begin with Him.”

Citing Matthew 17 and Romans 12, Manning said faith and a renewed mindset were crucial for leaders, teachers and students.

“My challenge to everyone in this room is simple: understand that the transformation you want for yourself, for the education sector, and for this country, starts with one man. Nothing is impossible when you start with God.” (LG)