“[Education] Transformation does not happen by accident. It requires vision, planning, and, most importantly, courage,” stated Dr Abel-Jeffrey, “As Chief Education Officers and Directors of Education, we are uniquely positioned to drive that transformation – to rethink outdated policies, challenge inequitable systems, and promote innovation across all levels of education.” – Dr Dianne Abel-Jeffrey | Chief Education Officer of Grenada and Chair, Sixth Meeting of Chief Education Officers and Directors of Education
The Sixth Meeting of Chief Education Officers and Directors of Education convened virtually from 17 – 18 September 2025, bringing together senior education officials from eighteen (18) CARICOM Member States and Associate Members to advance strategic priorities under the CARICOM Human Resource Development (HRD) 2030 Strategy.
Participating countries were: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Regional institutions and development partners also participated, including the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT), The University of the West Indies (UWI), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The meeting served as a high-level platform for robust dialogue on key issues shaping the future of Caribbean education. Chief Education Officers and Directors of Education discussed strategies to strengthen the teaching profession, enhance Mathematics instruction and learning outcomes, leverage artificial intelligence to improve education delivery and accelerate implementation of the CARICOM HRD 2030 Strategy.
In her address, meeting Chair, Dr Dianne Abel-Jeffrey, Chief Education Officer of Grenada, acknowledged the challenges faced by education systems in the wake of global disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic and climate-related disasters. She called for bold, collaborative action to transform education across the Region.
Dr Abel-Jeffrey emphasised the need to modernise curricula, embrace digital learning, invest in teachers, and deepen regional cooperation to ensure that Caribbean learners are equipped with the skills and resilience needed to thrive in the 21st century.
“[Education] Transformation does not happen by accident. It requires vision, planning, and, most importantly, courage,” stated Dr Abel-Jeffrey, “As Chief Education Officers and Directors of Education, we are uniquely positioned to drive that transformation – to rethink outdated policies, challenge inequitable systems, and promote innovation across all levels of education.”
The meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment of CARICOM education leaders to shape an inclusive, future-ready, and transformative education system for generations to come.
