Schools to focus on ‘Year of Purpose’

Education Minister Chad Blackman has declared the 2026-27 school year as the “Year of Purpose” in education, unveiling new digital platforms for both teachers and students to share ideas, experiences and knowledge.

In a ministerial statement on Friday to designate the school year which begins in September, Blackman described the year as particularly significant ahead of Barbados’ 60th year of Independence and fifth year as a republic.

He said: “We must use this moment as a time not only of reflection but to use the gains as well as the lessons learned on how to prepare for the next 60 as a nation. To this end, the ministry is dedicating the 2026/2027 school year as the year of purpose.”

The year would encourage teachers, students and school staff to reflect on their roles and contributions to the education system, he said.

“This must be the year where we commit to asking ourselves the simple question: Why am I here? What is my purpose and how do I make an even greater commitment in making sure that our education system is the best that it has ever been?”

Teachers would have access to a dedicated digital educators’ forum to share research, ideas and innovative solutions, he added.

“It will be a year where teachers will not only continue to be trained in critical areas but also be given the platform to share not only their ideas and experiences but invited to share research and innovative and cutting-edge solutions to help shape the future of education not only in Barbados but what it can and must look like globally through a dedicated digital educators forum.”

The ministry would also create digital spaces, including podcasts “to share best practices via podcasts and other forms of capturing some of the best minds that this country has to offer in education”.

He also announced the rollout of StudentTV.bb, which will give students, particularly in high school, a national platform “to not only tell their stories and what’s happening in their respective schools, but to be able to have a national platform that allows them to engage and to shape critical pieces of public discussion, as well as coverage of national events in education, including sport, the arts, science and technology”.

Blackman said students would receive training and mentorship from media professionals “both locally and abroad”.

The minister also announced that chess would be phased into all the nation’s public schools to develop students’ strategic thinking skills.

“The phased rollout of chess in schools will play a critical role in shaping the minds of young Bajans; to not necessarily become a grandmaster of the game though, of course, welcome, but to help them to master the ability to think many, many steps ahead of any situation in life that they may come up against. These, of course, are but some of the things that will be happening in the coming academic year.”

(LG)