PM Skerrit states fervour for education reform, to his regional counterparts

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is flying the banner for education reform in the Caribbean, going so far as to call it an “emergency.”

While addressing the opening ceremony of the 10th Meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Council of Ministers for Education (COM:edu) at the State House Conference Center this week, Skerrit took the opportunity to press home what, he says, is an urgent mandate.

“You are fortunate as ministers to have the opportunity now to be the leaders in the transformation and the reform that we need in this Caribbean today,” he said.

Having commented on previous occasions about required change in education within Dominica’s borders, he said to his regional colleagues, “This is a global imperative, this is a regional emergency that we have to dramatically address the structural and systemic challenges of education.”

The PM acknowledged the risk of sounding the alarm on an established order, saying, “And I don’t want anybody to take what I am saying personally, because that is what sometimes happens when we speak about these things.”

“This is about us, and it is about the future of our children and the future of our society. We have to equip our children with what they need today to live in this very difficult world,” he continued.

Furthermore, he said the system cannot be seen to only be preoccupied with preparing students for examinations, “and if you ask me, I think there also has to be a serious structural change at the CXC [Caribbean Examinations Council].”

Skerrit argued that simply piling on subjects to be taken at an examination level at the CXC, “is not a positive movement.”

According to a previous press release, COM:Edu facilitates Ministers of Education and senior officials from the OECS member states engaging in discussions, focused on grounding the goals outlined in the OECS Education Sector Strategy (OESS) for the years 2012–2026.  Also part of the meeting agenda, key topics include inclusive education, the enhancement of learning outcomes, and comprehensive system reforms. Additionally, the opportunity exists for collaboration to strengthen collective success.

Given that the OESS is reportedly crafted to fit the reality of Small Island States and aims to align with the progressive goal of sustainable human development, the gathering is steeped with potential for transforming educational systems across the OECS in tandem with national efforts.

Specifically, the architects of the education strategy want to achieve its objectives by modernizing primary school curricula, improving early grade assessment methods, increasing access to quality early childhood education, promoting inclusive teaching practices, and developing innovative skills that prepare students for the future.

However, according to Skerrit, this can only happen if the entire model is revamped.

“Yes, we have addressed access to education, yes, we are addressing the issue of inclusivity, yes, we have addressed to a large extent the issue of teacher training, but there must be a paradigm shift, or else the society will reap what we sow in the education system.”

The two-day meeting is scheduled for September 25–26, 2025.