Education reform will be next top priority of CARICOM
The prime minister of Dominica has expressed his intention to put education reform as his number one priority as soon as he assumes regional chairmanship in July.
Dominica News Online reported that Dominica’s prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit plans to organize a conference on education reform with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders during his tenure in the organization.
“When I assume the chairmanship of CARICOM in July of this year, the matter of education reform will top my agenda and I will propose a symposium of regional leaders and educators to take action on this important matter,” Skerrit said.
The CARICOM chairmanship is rotated every six months among the heads of state. The current chairman is Bahamas Prime Minister Philip E. Davis, who assumed office on 1st January 2023.
Skerrit has previously expressed his views on the education system in the Caribbean at a regional symposium on crime held in Trinidad and Tobago last April, when he told fellow heads of governments that education reform is important in addressing the surge in violent crimes in the region.
“I think we need to have, in my respectful view, a comprehensive review of our education system in the Caribbean,” he said, adding that he hopes there is an “urgent review” of the regional education system.
Skerrit plans to begin the education reform in his own country, with a national task force to lead the changes in Dominica.
This comes after “a constructive discussion between government officials and secondary school principals” last Monday.
“We discussed key issues [such] as the quality of primary and secondary education, the importance of parental involvement, the need for a more holistic approach to education, and the various challenges faced by teachers and students,” Skerrit said. “I took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of understanding students’ behaviours and adopting teaching methods to cater to the different learning styles, abilities, and interests of our students.”
Dominica’s infrastructure on education is undergoing major improvements, as well, with the help of the country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme.
Schools like the Mahaut Primary School and Dominica Grammar School are “modernized to become climate-resilient structures for the holistic growth and development of the Dominican youth,” according to its major developer, MMC Development Ltd. The school boasts spacious classrooms, as well as laboratories, multimedia room, theatre and recreational areas.
MMC Development Ltd. has been a partner of the Dominican government for several years now, initially as its residential developing company. Today, MMC Development Ltd. handles several otehr projects, including new schools, clinics, and the international airport.