Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman has earmarked this month as the time in which the Government will move forward in earnest with its plans to make the education system world class.
He made this point today at the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year while standing alongside Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Bradshaw during his tour of several institutions which included Daryll Jordan Secondary School, Gordon Greenidge Primary School and St Stephen’s Primary School. Blackman praised the education sector for its contribution over the years but stressed that transformation was urgently needed if the country was to remain competitive.
“For a number of years, our education system has served its aim. As an independent nation, we must continue to look forward to how we build out this capacity in Barbados and provide the quality of life for our people, that is the envy of the world,” he said.
He added that the system must now “keep pace with the demands of the global community” and ensure that students are equipped to deal with both challenges and opportunities.
Blackman underscored the central role of teachers, describing them as “the bedrock of our education system”. He said the teaching service in Barbados had served the country “incredibly well” but noted that the Government must continue to collaborate with teachers and unions to create a framework that supported their work.
The Minister also used the occasion to highlight the importance of literacy, noting that the first day of school coincided with International Literacy Day. He said that both traditional reading skills and digital literacy were vital for preparing Barbadians for the modern world.
“If we’re going to get our students in the country to be competitive, to be confident and to navigate this mazy world, literacy is important,” he said. “It is important that it is started in earnest, and I long for our people to be able to read. Are there going to be challenges or children who have challenges and need help in getting to those objectives? Certainly.
“Therefore, the Ministry has committed to the endorsements necessary so that the teachers and parents have access to become literate. Persons who have passed the age of seven and are not able to read in the way that we would like, programmes are being rolled out to ensure that their needs can be met,” he said.
