Education overhaul gains momentum

The Ministry of Education Transformation is ramping up efforts to modernise the education system, with a revised Education Act expected by year-end.

This was revealed by Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw during a church service to recognise International Children’s Month.

She spoke of progress under the Barbados Education Transformation Agenda as she made reference to the current Education Act, which dates back to 1983.

She told the congregation of the Church of Christ the King that the ministry has been restructuring its operations through upgrades, the incorporation of more technology at schools and partnering with additional learning institutions.

But she insisted that a problem still exists if their work is not supported by regulation.

“I can assure you that the transformation on which we are embarking is not being done in a piecemeal way, but we are also introducing legislation and refining legislation to reflect our current realities.

“We are in the process of refining that education act. In fact, we have the final draft to review, and that should be ready by the end of this year. The education act that reflects the 2026 realities.”

Dr Archer-Bradshaw explained that the ministry was also developing an Education Quality Assurance Framework aimed at setting clear standards throughout the education system.

“Though our teachers continue to do a good job, that drive that we had in the 70s, 80s and 90s and so on is not as prevalent. I’m not saying it isn’t there; it is not as prevalent as it was before.

“So we need the external quality assurance framework that will help our teachers, our educational leaders, even our education officers to see what it means to be an excellent education officer, what it means to be an excellent teacher.

“When they can see these guidelines, and they’re observed, they know whether they are up to the mark or not.”

Turning to the ministry’s own operations, Dr Archer-Bradshaw said significant work was being done internally to improve efficiency and service delivery.

“We have looked in the mirror, and we realised that in order to be more effective and to be more efficient, we have to restructure the ministry.

“So, we’ve started that process. We recognise that there are some processes because they’re dependent on filling out forms, and the paper takes two days to get to another section, and then the paper has to [be taken from] that section and go to another. Those processes are taking too long.

“So what we are doing right now is that we are digitising services.”

She added that the ministry was also examining ways to improve engagement with members of the public.

The Chief Education Officer also revealed that the Ministry of Education’s new website is now online.

“I don’t know if you have seen our website before, but the young people would say that the website looked popped down.

“Just last week, we were able to launch a new website that looks a lot better, that is a bit more interactive, but we aren’t finished, you see, because in this life, the way I see it, you never arrive, you always strive, you always have to strive to be better.

Dr Archer-Bradshaw also highlighted efforts under the ministry’s third transformation goal, which focuses on modernising physical and digital learning environments.

She said more than 30 schools across the island had already been upgraded to better support teaching and learning while improving student safety and well-being.

“We are also establishing new centres of innovation, including initiatives such as the Oceanana Innovation Hub.

“That building belongs to the Ministry of Education Transformation, and it is a place where students from across the island can go to learn about the ocean. They can learn about the climate, and they can do that while having fun.

“The beauty of that building is that it does not separate children who go to certain secondary schools. It is a place where children from various secondary schools come together to work on solving problems that affect us as Barbadians,” Dr Archer-Bradshaw added.