Caribbean Education: Challenges and Opportunities
The Low Pass Rate Conundrum
When students across the Caribbean received their Caribbean Examinations Council results last summer, a concerning picture emerged: only 4.9 percent of students—close to 200,000 students for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams—passed five or more subjects, including Mathematics and English. Particularly alarming is the low success rate in Mathematics, with just 36 percent of students passing that subject in 2024.
Parents and educators are expressing frustration over low pass rates: “The cumulative effects of years of poor educational outcomes are deeply concerning, especially given the well-established links between education and negative societal impacts such as crime,” said Paula-Anne Moore, spokesperson for the Group of Concerned Parents in Barbados and the Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress, as reported by Barbados Today.
This raises important questions about the root causes of the educational challenges in the Caribbean and what steps can be taken to address them.
Data Concerns: A Lack of Comparability
One of the biggest challenges in understanding the quality of education in the Caribbean is the lack of globally comparable data. Unlike other regions, the Caribbean does not consistently participate in international benchmarking assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). High-stakes regional exams implemented by the Caribbean Examinations Council, provide some insights into learning outcomes but not all students take these exams and some students prepare for them outside of school, given the exams’ importance for students’ education trajectories. As such, these assessments do not provide globally comparable snapshots of education system performance, as PISA and similar assessments do.
A Foundational Learning Crisis
The data point to a larger, systemic problem: a crisis in foundational learning in the Caribbean. Foundational learning involves basic literacy, numeracy, and transferable skills, which are the building blocks for a life of learning. In many Caribbean countries, students leave primary school without mastering these skills, which hampers their ability to succeed in secondary education and beyond.
Inequality in Access to Quality Education
Adding to the challenge is the persistent issue of inequality in access to quality education. Many students attend schools that are under-resourced and face challenges such as overcrowding, underqualified or demotivated teachers, and often, significant levels of violence.
What Needs to Be Done?
Governments across the Caribbean are already prioritizing education; implementing reforms to improve access, enhance teaching quality, and upgrade school infrastructure.
However, achieving better outcomes will require a paradigm shift in Caribbean education systems, including enhanced alignment with the global agenda for transforming education. Efforts should be directed toward addressing inequality and ensuring a minimum level of quality for all students; a stronger emphasis on foundational learning; increasing resilience and adaptability of education systems; strengthening digital education, including improving data collection and education management information systems and finding solutions to retain talent within the region. Partnerships are also critical, and regional entities such as the Caribbean Community and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Commission have a strong role to play.
The World Bank’s Support
The World Bank is actively supporting these efforts, including by gathering evidence for building consensus on the strengths and challenges of Caribbean education systems and by providing evidence-based recommendations for reform. For example, Education Public Expenditure Reviews completed in Jamaica and Belize and ongoing in Barbados, provide a comprehensive analysis of the efficiency and equity of education spending, benchmarking the country’s performance against regional and global standards.
Conclusion
Caribbean countries can make significant strides in improving the quality of education, ensuring Caribbean children have the future they deserve – one filled with opportunities and bright prospects.
FAQs
Q: What are the main challenges facing Caribbean education systems?
A: The main challenges include low pass rates, lack of globally comparable data, and inequality in access to quality education.
Q: What is foundational learning, and why is it important?
A: Foundational learning involves basic literacy, numeracy, and transferable skills, which are the building blocks for a life of learning. It is essential for students to master these skills to succeed in secondary education and beyond.
Q: What are some of the solutions being implemented to address the challenges in Caribbean education?
A: Governments and regional entities are implementing reforms to improve access, enhance teaching quality, and upgrade school infrastructure, as well as strengthening digital education and addressing inequality.