NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC -The education system in the Bahamas is to undergo a significant transformation through a multi-million dollar Bahamas Education Sector Transformation (BEST) project launched on Monday.
Prime Minister Phillip Davis, speaking at the launch of the US$43 million project, said the country is taking significant steps toward making the local educational system more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient.
“This project represents yet another significant investment that we are making in the future success of our children,” he said, thanking the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for its role in supporting the nation’s development and the entire region.
“As one of the Bank’s founding members, it is an honor for The Bahamas to have contributed to this nation-building work. The CDB’s loans and grants have been instrumental in fostering progress across various sectors.”
Davis said that the Bank funded major initiatives locally, such as the Climate Change Aquaponics project, the Bahamas Mobile Lab Upgrade, and the US$100 million commitment to support the Bahamas’s economic recovery and resilience efforts.
HeBankd the audience that the BEST project consists of building the East Grand Bahama Comprehensive School, rehabilitating local schools, and developing an IT strategy and plan for the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training to modernize operations. There is also training and professional development for 2000 school administrators and teachers under the CDB, CARICOM, and OECS Let’s REAP initiative.
“The BEST project aims to enhance our education system, making it more efficient, inclusive, gender-responsive, relevant, and resilient. By investing in infrastructure, curriculum development, teacher training, and technology integration, we will create an environment where every learner can thrive and reach their full potential.”
Davis said BEST is an investment in providing a quality education to all learners. It is the latest in a series of major initiatives underway at the Ministry of Education: “We get the many children we lost during the pandemic back in school, remediate them, revamp the core curriculum, and make several changes to modernize our educational system for future success.
“We cannot afford to let another year go by without making the necessary investments and rolling out the needed reforms to create a better future for education in The Bahamas—not when education is so closely tied to productivity and economic growth. Not when we are going through rapid change and our children must be bold, innovative, critical thinkers capable of competing on the world stage.”
He said the world is experiencing three major shifts, driven by climate change, digital transformation, and population growth.
“These three challenges are what development experts call the triple transition because of their far-reaching impacts on every societal sector.
“If we want to continue building on the success The Bahamas has enjoyed as the world’s best little country, we must continue along the Bahamian excellence pathway and ensure our best days are ahead. In that case, education is the only way to secure our children’s brighter and better future.”
Davis said that his administration is fully committed to addressing the social and economic needs of Grand Bahama and the population, adding, “While we knew we needed broad reforms to our system, we also knew that building a new school in Grand Bahama had to be a part of this project.
“Our government is steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that every child in our nation has access to the education they deserve, regardless of their background or circumstances.
In closing, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all stakeholders involved in making the Bahamas Education Sector Transformation Project a reality.”
The CDB said that since the passage of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, students in East Grand Bahama had faced commutes of up to 100 kilometers.
“The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted the local education system, causing learning losses and exacerbating existing inequities in access to technology. The new and refurbished climate-resilient schools will be designed to improve student achievement, increase access and completion rates, and enhance community life,” the CDB added.
CDB Acting Vice President of Operations, Mrs. Therese Turner-Jones, said the project will improve the learning environment, teach methods, and strengthen the education system’s governance.
“The CDB is proud of its partnership with The Bahamas. Education is critical to ensuring that all Bahamians have a better-than-fighting chance of competing in the global labor market. No child, whether on Sweeting Cay, High Rock, West End, or Freeport, should be deprived of learning.
“Education is the most important investment a government can make in its population. No one should be left behind. This means including special needs in the education strategy, using technology, and ensuring that teachers are equipped to do their jobs,” Mrs. Turner-Jones said.
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