Connect with leading educators, policymakers, and innovators to explore the future of education in the Caribbean and beyond, under the theme–Navigating the Digital Age: Rethinking Teaching, Learning and Assessment.

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“The proposed CARICOM Education Transformation Commission was also discussed. This is devised to drive a unified equity-based education reform agenda across the Region.  In particular, we discussed how it can be operationalised in a manner that ensures its sustainability and does not compound the requirements of Member States.”

In a strong show of leaders’ commitment to education transformation, CARICOM Chair and Prime Minister of Jamaica, Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP, announced the advancement of a bold initiative to enhance education across the Caribbean Community: the CARICOM Education Transformation Commission.

Speaking at the closing media conference of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government, held from 6–8 July in Montego Bay, Prime Minister Holness confirmed that the Commission was a key topic of discussion among regional leaders.

He emphasised that the body is intended to drive a unified, equity-based reform agenda for education, designed to uplift learning outcomes and create consistent educational opportunities across Member States.

“In particular, we discussed how it can be operationalised in a manner that ensures its sustainability and does not compound the requirements of Member States,” stated Dr Holness.

The proposed Commission signals a renewed commitment to education as a cornerstone of regional development and social equity. The CARICOM Chair explained that leaders explored collaborative approaches that will ensure long-term success and impactful implementation without overextending national capacities.

During the Meeting’s opening ceremony on Sunday, Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, SC, MP, Prime Minister of Barbados underscored that the Caribbean Educational Transformation Commission must be established as a matter of urgency, as the current educational system is not “fit for purpose” for today’s citizens.

She posited that data and evidence should inform necessary changes to give young people the best possible chance.

Helpful Links:

Keynote Address | Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP | Prime Minister of Jamaica | Chairman of CARICOM | 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government| 6 July 2025

Video | Closing Media Conference of the 49th Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government | Montego Bay, Jamaica

“It is also important to explore how the Region’s policymakers and development specialists can partner to exploit the untapped opportunities for securing positive educational outcomes, strengthening community development and facilitating greater youth engagement through chess.”

CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General, Dr Armstrong Alexis, believes that participation in sport can unlock young people’s potential to secure the Region’s future.

He shared this view at the opening of the CARICOM Chess Classic 2025, held at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana, on Monday, 30 June 2025. The event was organised by the Guyana Chess Federation.

“Not only has chess been associated with increased intelligence and academic performance, but its characteristics as a cognitively demanding game have also made it of high interest in educational spheres, youth engagement, and in promoting mental well-being,” stated Dr Alexis.

He added, “So, this event goes beyond bragging rights and chess mastery. I do not think I exaggerate when I say that this Tournament is also about securing the Region’s future through youth development.”

Please read his complete remarks below.

Salutations

I am honoured and excited to be in your midst this evening. Thank you for the invitation and for the opportunity to address you briefly.

I wish to commend the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF ) for its commitment, not just to nation building but to an even more ambitious goal of deeper regional integration, by taking the lead in organising and hosting yet another chess tournament for the CARICOM Region. Last year, the Secretariat collaborated with the GCF in hosting the Inaugural Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Classic Chess Tournament under the umbrella of the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of CARICOM and this year, we are pleased to once again welcome the nine teams from eight territories in the CARICOM Region that have journeyed to Guyana to do battle for chess supremacy.

The Secretariat is thrilled to collaborate with the Federation to execute this event. We are keen on exploring how this partnership can be strengthened and integrated into the wider programmatic and strategic activities associated with the Community’s Sport Development Programme.

I wish to also commend the Pegasus Hotel Guyana and all sponsors for placing their support behind this initiative. The successful execution of this event truly is a demonstration of the role that partnerships can play in accelerating sport development in the Region.

The Caribbean Community places strong emphasis on sport as a vector of change in the Region. The Secretariat’s Sport Development Programme is strategically moving to mobilise partners across the Region in an effort to strengthen the governance of the sector and widen the spectrum of sports available to youth. We all know that participation in sport serves as a vehicle to mitigate against crime and other antisocial behaviour, especially amongst youth. I therefore urge not only the participants, but the organizers of this tournament to continue the effort to ensure that the young citizens of our beloved Caribbean continue to use sport and in this particular instance, Chess, as a means of remaining gainfully engaged, gain useful life skills and values, strengthen bonds, and impact positively on our nations.

Ladies and gentlemen, the initiative that we are gathered here to get underway is a consequential one. Given the rising concerns with youth disengagement in the Region and the persistent productivity gaps when compared with the rest of the world, mind sports, such as chess, offer solutions – if we are able to leverage them effectively.

So, this event goes beyond bragging rights and chess mastery. I do not think I exaggerate when I say that this Tournament is also about securing the region’s future through youth development.

It is now well known that there are various cognitive and non-cognitive benefits of chess. Chess promotes mental focus, strategic thinking, cognitive agility, impulse control, and a greater capacity to make decisions in the face of ambiguity.

The skills learned through chess are transferable to domains such as socio-affective development, memory and creativity, visuo-spatial abilities, problem-solving abilities, and even reductions in risk-aversion.

Not only has chess been associated with increased intelligence and academic performance, but its characteristics as a cognitively demanding game have also made it of high interest in educational spheres, youth engagement and in promoting mental well-being.

The CARICOM Secretariat is, therefore, happy to be partnering with Chess Federations and members of the Region’s sporting fraternity gathered here today, to explore how chess can be routinised as a sport to which all children have access from early and throughout the various stages of their development.

It is also important to explore how the Region’s policymakers and development specialists can partner to exploit the untapped opportunities for securing positive educational outcomes, strengthening community development and facilitating greater youth engagement through chess.

The Secretariat expresses well wishes to all the players and teams who are here to participate in this Tournament, and I look forward to seeing the knock-on effects that this year’s tournament will likely catalyse.

Thank you!

To celebrate the day, the CARICOM Girls in ICT Partnership will host an inspiring webinar and a speaker series, designed to spotlight the voices and stories of girls in technology. 

Participants in the webinar will explore how AI is transforming all aspects of life; the support drone technology provides to environmental management; and how robotics is changing the way business and industries operate. The speaker series will follow a day in the lives of an e-commerce agri-entrepreneur, education technology futurist, innovative brand and design strategist, and a statistician and technology researcher.  

There will also be a panel discussion on the role of AI in shaping the future classroom. 

Please join us on our social media platforms for the events which begin at 10 am AST.  

You can register via the following link: https://rsc-student.web.app/#/sign-in 

For additional details, please see: https://caricom.org/girlsinict/

“We were able to also take a report from the concerned parents with respect to CXC, and we’ve asked for them to meet with CXC to remove any misunderstanding and to improve the response to their concerns. In addition to that, the Community took a decision that the time has come for the establishment of a CARICOM Educational Transformation Commission.”

CARICOM leaders have decided to establish an Educational Transformation Commission. CARICOM Chair and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley made the announcement at the culmination of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Barbados during the closing media conference.

In 2024, a representative for the Group of Concerned Parents of Barbados and the Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress advocated for the need to analyse Barbadian pupils’ performance in light of a CXC report, which revealed a concerning fall in regional Mathematics proficiency.

Speaking to the media, the Chair highlighted the leaders’ decisive action.  “We were able to take a report from the concerned parents with respect to CXC, and we’ve asked for them to meet with CXC to remove any misunderstanding…to improve the response to their concerns. In addition to that, the Community took a decision that the time had come now for the establishment of a CARICOM Educational Transformation Commission,” explained the Chair.

“We all accept that our educational systems are not fit for purpose.”

The Chair emphasised that leaders agreed the current systems were not aligned with the Region’s education goals. “They were designed for a colonial period with a hierarchical structure that only saw a few of our people. If we are to be able to ensure that we produce citizens fit for the time with the appropriate social and emotional learning targets, it is now,” asserted the Barbados Prime Minister.

The terms of reference and the composition of the Commission will be completed soon.

View the Chair’s comments below:

“On this International Day of Education, it is useful to remind ourselves that, despite the intensification of AI, it remains true that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.  The Caribbean Community welcomes the potential of AI to transform many aspects of education and looks forward to a future in which AI complements the essential human elements of the teaching and learning process.”

Davion Leslie, Programme Manager, Human Resource Development (with responsibility for Education), CARICOM Secretariat.

On 24 January, the CARICOM Secretariat will join the world in a significant celebration: the International Day of Education. This year’s theme underscores the crucial role of our educators in using new technologies to improve how we learn and evolve as a Community while maintaining a human-centred learning environment.

“On this International Day of Education, it is useful to remind ourselves that, despite the intensification of AI, it remains true that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers,” stated Davion Leslie, Programme Manager, Human Resource Development (with responsibility for Education) at the CARICOM Secretariat. 

His sentiments were echoed by Jennifer Britton, Deputy Programme Manager, Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) at the CARICOM Secretariat, who advocated for safeguarding the independence of educators and students in the rise of AI.

She underscored, “As we reflect on the theme for this year’s observance…and as educational environments become more automated and computerised, safeguarding students, educators, and society’s independence becomes paramount.”

Click below to hear more of their perspectives.

Click here for more on how AI can be used for education.

“Now is surely an opportune time to transform our education system into one that has greater levels of resilience and delivers lessons that create a climate-aware citizenry. I am optimistic that decisions we will make in this Meeting will serve to secure these and other important outcomes.”

Monday, 28 October 2024 (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown): Chair of the 48th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Education and Grenada’s Minister of Education, Senator the Honourable David Andrew, has highlighted adapting to changing technology, the need for education transformation and the threat of climate change as some of the critical areas of focus for the education sector.

Minister Andrew made these comments during the 48th COHSOD Education, hosted by the CARICOM Secretariat in Trinidad and Tobago from 24 to 25 October. The Meeting provided a platform for stakeholders in the education sector to discuss the challenges, learning gaps and threats to the quality of education, such as the impact of climate change on education systems.

The Impact of Climate Change

“The urgent challenge we have in this Meeting is developing an answer to the question- how do we ensure that our education system is responding to the immediate realities that we face?” I ask this question as an Education Minister who is now rebuilding and/or repairing 15 schools that experienced varying levels of damage due to the passage of Hurricane Beryl on 1 July,” stated Minister Andrew.  He also expressed solidarity with other Member States recovering from Beryl’s destruction.

The Meeting Chair advocated for regional collaboration to transform the education system into one that is resilient to the impact of climate change and offers better opportunities and outcomes for the People of the Caribbean Community.

“Now is surely an opportune time to transform our education system into one that has greater levels of resilience and delivers lessons that create a climate-aware citizenry. I am optimistic that decisions we will make in this Meeting will serve to secure these and other important outcomes,” added the Chair.

Paradigm Shift towards Education Transformation

In her remarks, CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Foreign and Community Relations, Elizabeth Solomon, said that the Region agrees on a paradigm shift to align its education sector with the global agenda for education transformation. 

She stated, “The [CARICOM] Secretariat has an ambitious mandate to implement the 2030 Strategy, but we look to your support as we review to make the necessary adjustments to meet our target of 2030 and beyond. Based on assessments thus far, we all agree on the need for a paradigm shift and for the Caribbean Community to embrace and keep in step with the global agenda for transformation of our education system.”

She added that one of the key drivers would be repositioning the education system to respond to 2030 challenges. As a result, education stakeholders are asked to re-examine the Region’s education standards and the issues that affect student learning.

CARICOM Secretariat Interventions for Education Transformation

ASG Solomon also highlighted the CARICOM Secretariat’s successful interventions for the education sector.  “Over the past year, we lay claim to some major accomplishments as a result of the support provided by Member States, partners and international donors. We continue to build strong partnerships, which have yielded positive results. In collaboration with The University of the West Indies, Organisation of Easter Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the CARICOM Secretariat launched Cohort 2 of the Learning Recovery and Enhancement Programme, known as “Let’s REAP”, for Caribbean schools. Two thousand two hundred and forty-nine (2249) educators from 16 Member States and Associate Members are enrolled in this cohort, which commenced on 25 March 2024 and was completed in July 2024.  Fifteen Thousand (15,000) educators – teachers, principals, and Ministry of Education officials are targeted for further training,” stated the CARICOM ASG.   

She also highlighted the Digitalisation of TVET Delivery Project as another successful initiative.  She noted that the Project is establishing a regional digital platform that supports the digitalisation of TVET delivery across CARICOM Member States.

Digital Education

During her opening remarks, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Education, Dr the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, advocated for a tailored approach to the Region’s digital education gap.  “It is not enough for us to deliver the basic tenets of literacy and numeracy. In this dynamic world, we must equip our citizens with the skills and values needed to move through this revolving digital economy. We in the Caribbean face unique challenges that require tailored solutions. So, whether we are grappling with the widening educational gaps post-pandemic, the migration of skilled talent, or the pressure to revitalise our [Technical and Vocational Education and Training] TVET systems to meet the demands of the 21st-century workforce, our responses must be deliberate and unified. COHSOD provides us with the ideal forum to exchange ideas, craft policies, and strengthen the networks that bind us as Caribbean brothers and sisters,” stated the Minister.

CARICOM Ministers of Education, chief education officers, chief technical experts and other regional stakeholders participated in the two-day session. Regional and international partners, the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA), the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and The University of the West Indies (UWI) also contributed.

Additional Information:

The Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) promotes human and social development. Specifically, Article 17 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas states the Council, which consists of Ministers designated by the Member States, will promote the development of education through the efficient organisation of educational and training facilities in the Community, including elementary and advanced vocational training and technical facilities.

As he referenced climate change’s impact on education, the Chair stated that Grenada is rebuilding and/or repairing 15 schools that experienced varying levels of damage due to Hurricane Beryl’s passage on 1 July and expressed solidarity with other Member States recovering from Beryl’s destruction.

He advocated for regional collaboration to transform the education system into one that is resilient to the impact of climate change and offers better opportunities and outcomes for the People of the Caribbean Community.  

Please read his speech below.

48^TH MEETING OF the

Council for Human and Social Development – Education

Sen. The Hon David Andrew

Minister of Education, Grenada,

Chair’s Remarks

Salutations,

• My Colleague Education Ministers from across the Caribbean, with a special acknowledgement to our host minister, The Honourable Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Education, Trinidad and Tobago
• Ms Elizabeth Solomon, Assistant Secretary General, Foreign Policy and Community Relations and the Officer-in-Charge of the Directorate of Human and Social Development;
• Mrs Helen Royer, Director, Human Development, CARICOM Secretariat;
• Permanent Secretaries, Chief Education Officers and other Delegates from Member States;
• Mr Davion Leslie, Programme Manager, Human Resource Development, CARICOM Secretariat;
• Dr Densie Stoney-James, Deputy Programme Manager, Education, CARICOM Secretariat;  
• Other Delegates, Partners and special invitees,

Good morning!

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 48^th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development – Education. I bring you greetings from the Prime Minister of Grenada and the current Chair of the Caribbean Community, the Honorable Dickon Mitchell.

I want to place on record my appreciation for the work my colleague, Minister Octavia Alfred, and her team from Dominica did as the Chair of COHSOD for the period that has just now come to an end. Minister Alfred, I look forward to your continued support.

I am thrilled to accept the invitation to serve as the Chair of the Council for Human and Social Development (Education) for the next 11 months. I have spent much of my adult life involved in education – including 10 years as a classroom teacher. As a father of 3 children, a trained teacher, and a patriotic citizen of the Caribbean Community, I am highly invested in the advancement of education in the Region. I am excited, therefore, to have the opportunity, provided through this chairmanship, to help shape the development of the Region’s education sector.

I express thanks to my Permanent Secretary, Elvis Morain, who from all reports ably executed the chairmanship of the Officials Meeting last week and I also extend my commendation to all the Officials who had robust discussion on the agenda items and I look forward to addressing their recommendations.

Thanks also to the CARICOM Secretariat Team for the support already provided to PS Morain in the capacity of Chairman.

Colleague Ministers, when I look at the agenda for today’s meeting, I am seized with a deep sense of urgency. I wish to use my remarks this morning to recommend the same urgency to you.

The agenda invites us to discuss consequential issues such as the management of education data in the Region, the acceleration of the digital transformation in the education system, and the revision of the CARICOM HRD 2030 Strategy. These are all critical lines of action that, if done right, can fundamentally reshape the structure of the Region’s education system. This Meeting gives us an opportunity to initiate and advance action-focused exchanges to create a more resilient, relevant and responsive education system.

The urgency of reshaping our education system is further intensified by the opportunities presented by the ubiquity of technology, the acceleration of education transformation and the increased awareness of the existential threat of climate change.

The urgent challenge we have in this Meeting is developing an answer to the question, “how do we ensure that our education system is responding to the immediate realities that we face?” I ask this question as an Education Minister who is now rebuilding and/or repairing 15 schools that experienced varying levels of damage due to the passage of Hurricane Beryl on 1 July. And I know, each Ministry of Education across the Region is grappling with similar challenges.   

Given this, now is surely an opportune time to transform our education system into one that has greater levels of resilience and into one that delivers lessons that create a climate-aware citizenry. I am optimistic that decisions we will make in this Meeting will serve to secure these and other important outcomes.

So, colleagues, this is our opportunity to meet the moment with the urgency that it deserves. This is our opportunity to create legacy in the way that it matters most – by securing a safe and prosperous future for our children. Ministers, we have an ambitious agenda ahead of us and I ask you for your support through robust discussion on the items for this Meeting, but more than that, I ask you for your commitment as we work to advance the Region’s education system