Video summary
The official opening of the 2026-2027 academic year in St. Lucia was marked by a widespread sense of optimism across all schools, ranging from kindergarteners entering their classrooms for the first time to seniors preparing for exit examinations. This reopening signified more than just the start of another term; it represented the culmination of months of dedicated preparation aimed at establishing safer, stronger, and more supportive learning environments. Throughout the summer vacation, an extensive program of restorative and infrastructural works was undertaken to ensure that every school was ready to welcome students and staff, with classrooms being refurbished, painted, repaired, and having their sanitation facilities upgraded to meet high standards.
These physical improvements are part of a broader government commitment to investing in learning spaces that foster teaching, learning, and student well-being. Officials toured various schools along the east coast and other regions, noting significant upgrades in infrastructure such as those at Forest Fair, Becs So, and Ti Roche schools. The administration emphasized that while they cannot visit every school simultaneously, they are committed to continuing this journey to address challenges and improve teaching conditions for educators and learning environments for students. Despite some complaints regarding outdated computer labs, the ministry is actively engaging foreign missions to secure donated or upgraded computers, demonstrating a proactive approach to resolving issues and listening to the needs of the community.
Beyond infrastructure, the new academic year follows targeted financial interventions designed to ease the burden on families, ensuring that no child is left behind due to economic circumstances. The government provided financial assistance through the CPEA school support program for students transitioning into secondary school and offered book bursaries to thousands of primary students from kindergarten through grade six to help purchase essential learning materials. Simultaneously, the ministry is advancing an ambitious education transformation agenda that prioritizes digital learning, with a new cohort of form one students set to receive laptops during the year. This initiative aims to expand access to technology while supporting modern teaching practices, alongside ongoing efforts in curriculum enhancement, teacher development, technical and vocational education, and strengthened student support services.
As classrooms once again come alive with learning, discovery, and opportunity, the Ministry of Education views this new academic year as a crucial step toward building an inclusive, resilient, and future-focused education system. Thousands of students walked through school gates carrying their books, backpacks, and dreams, ready to begin another chapter in their educational journey. The reopening signifies that schools across the nation are once again becoming places where futures are imagined, talents are nurtured, and the next story of the country is quietly written. For the Ministry of Education, represented by Amanda Fieglock, this period underscores a collective effort to strengthen the system and ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed in an evolving world.
Read the full video transcript
Across every school, there was a shared
sense of optimism. From the excitement
of first-time students entering
kindergarten classrooms to senior
students preparing for exit examinations
next year, the reopening of schools
marked what was not only the beginning
of another term, but also a reflection
of months of preparation aimed at
creating safer, stronger, and more
supportive learning environments in St.
Lucia.
During the summer vacation period,
schools across the island benefited from
an extensive program of restorative and
infrastructural works. Classrooms were
refurbished, painting and repairs
undertaken, sanitation facilities
upgraded, and essential maintenance
completed to ensure schools were ready
to welcome students and staff for the
new academic year. These improvements
form part of the government's continuing
investment in creating learning spaces
that are conducive to teaching,
learning, and student well-being.
>> seem very excited about the reopening of
school. We've done quite a bit [snorts]
of work in terms of the infrastructure
of most of our schools, and so the
upgrade
in terms of the school physically looks
very good, most of them today.
I decided to traverse the east coast of
the island. Of course, we did in the
first term a lot of the northern
schools. Today we at Ods we've done
schools like Forest Fair. We did Becs
So. We did schools Ti Roche. And we
continuing in the Dennery Basin. The
whole thrust is to visit as many schools
as possible. We cannot visit all one
time, and so we'll continue along this
journey tomorrow. And as time goes by,
we'll visit all schools to hear some of
the challenges and see some of what we
can do to make the actual teaching
conditions better for our teachers and
the learning conditions even better for
our students. But all in all, very very
good so far.
>> The reopening of schools also follows a
series of targeted interventions
designed to ease the financial burden on
families preparing for the new school
year. In recent weeks, the government
presented financial assistance to
students transitioning into secondary
school through the CPEA school support
program. While thousands of primary
school students from kindergarten
through grade six benefited from book
bursaries to assist with the purchase of
essential learning materials. The
support forms part of a broader national
commitment to ensuring that no child is
left behind because of economic
circumstances.
At the same time, the ministry continues
to advance an ambitious program of
education transformation.
Digital learning remains essential
pillar of that agenda with another
cohort of form one students set to
receive laptop computers during the
course of the academic year. Expanding
access to technology while supporting
modern teaching and learning practices
in classrooms throughout the island.
Alongside digital access, curriculum
enhancement, teacher development,
technical and vocational education, and
strengthened student support services
continue to shape the ministry's
long-term vision for education in St.
Lucia.
>> We've been listening to some of the
challenges and of course it's incumbent
on us as a body to do the best that we
can. Most of the complaints about the
computer labs, we really have outdated
computers at most of our schools. And so
we are engaging some of our foreign
mission to see if we can get as many
donated new computers as possible,
upgraded computers for our teachers and
of course our students as we continue
that thrust for digital transformation.
So we've been listening, we've been
trying our best and we'll continue to
work in the interest of our people.
>> As classrooms once again come alive with
learning, discovery, and opportunity,
the Ministry of Education says the new
academic year represents another
important step in strengthening an
education system that is inclusive,
resilient, and future-focused.
Today, thousands of students walk
through the school gates carrying books,
backpacks, and dreams of their own. As
another academic year begins, classrooms
across Indonesia once again become
places where futures are imagined,
talents are nurtured, and the next
chapter of our nation's story quietly
begins.
For the Ministry of Education, I am
Amanda Fieglock.