Lavern Ryan, the outgoing president of the Montserrat Secondary School Parent Teacher’s Association (PTA) is among participants attending the 2025 Regional Symposium and Policy Dialogue on Transforming Education, now underway at the Wyndham Grand Resort, Barbados.
The three-day symposium, hosted by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Transformation, Barbados and other partners, runs from September 30 to October 2 under the theme “Stronger Together: Empowering Parents as Partners in Caribbean Education.”
Delivering the keynote at Monday’s opening ceremony, CDB President Daniel Best revealed that the Bank is designing a transformative education policy and strategy to unlock the potential of the Caribbean’s predominantly young population, nearly 60% of whom are under 30.
“The global record is unequivocal, education accounted for half of global economic growth since 1980 and two-thirds of income gains among the world’s poorest people,” Best said. “Education is the most powerful driver of inclusive growth known to humanity, and the Caribbean must harness this force to transform our economic trajectory.”
Under its Rebirth vision, the Bank is pursuing a comprehensive approach that addresses the entire education ecosystem. This includes ensuring that every Caribbean child can read, count, think critically, and navigate the digital world by Grade 3; developing future-ready skills in renewable energy, resilient construction, agro-tech, health tech, the creative economy and AI; and creating a Caribbean Digital Education Ecosystem with equitable access to devices, connectivity, and shared learning resources.
Best also stressed the need to transform universities into engines of discovery for the blue and green economies, while empowering teachers with training in digital integration and ethics. The strategy links education directly to employment opportunities through micro-credentials and competency-based learning.
Data presented by the Bank underscores the urgency of reform: fewer than one in five Caribbean adults hold university degrees; only 44% of students passed five or more subjects including Mathematics and English in this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations; and some countries are losing more than 70% of their university graduates to migration.
“Our goal is to build ladders of opportunity across generations and create a sustainable legacy of prosperity for our people,” Best declared. “We envision a Caribbean where young innovators harness AI and robotics, where universities fuel breakthroughs in renewable energy and climate resilience, and where our brightest minds no longer feel compelled to leave the region to succeed.”
Best also emphasised the critical role of parents in this transformation. “In our region, it has always taken a village to succeed. And it will take the whole Caribbean village, including parents, teachers, communities, policymakers, and the diaspora, to raise this generation into prosperity,” he said. “That is why parents must have a seat at the table of transformation. Through stronger Parent-Teacher Associations, regional alliances, and community networks, we are embedding parents’ voices alongside policymakers in decisions that will shape Caribbean education for decades to come.”
Following the opening day, Ryan shared “It is exciting to see parents and education leaders across the region working together, including the move to establish the Caribbean Council of National PTAs, which will amplify the parent voice in shaping education. The discussions around parental engagement vs. parental involvement, and how we can better support students’ academic success and emotional well-being in this digital age, really resonated with me.”
The 2025 symposium builds on last year’s inaugural event and will see close to 200 participants, including parents, educators, administrators, development partners, and ministers of education, engage in dialogue and capacity building. Sessions will focus on strengthening PTAs, aligning policy with parental involvement, identifying best practices for parent-school collaboration, and formalising the creation of a Caribbean Parent Teacher Association through the adoption of a regional charter.
Highlights this week include panels on elevating parents’ role in school transformation, creating inclusive partnerships, shaping healthy futures, and advocating for learners with diverse needs. The event will conclude with a dialogue between parents, Ministers and the Caribbean Examinations Council on partnering for student success.
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