Tuesday, April 18, 2023 — Antigua and Barbuda will host the Eighth (8th) Meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Council of Ministers: Education (COM:Edu) on April 19th and 20th 2023 under the theme “Touching Lives through Data-Driven Development ”.    

The two-day annual meeting of the COM:Edu will be opened by the incoming Chair, The Honourable Daryll Matthew, Minister of Education, Antigua and Barbuda. It will also feature remarks from the outgoing Chair, The Honourable Curtis King, Minister of Education, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Ministers for Education in the OECS Member States and key development partners will be in attendance.

The meeting will provide the opportunity for policy makers to:

I. Examine selected key education issues, in keeping with the OECS Education Sector Strategy (OESS), impacting the people of the OECS to agree to joint mitigation approaches;

II. Agree to strategies and policies related to advancing education initiatives associated with ongoing implementation of the OESS;

III. Secure the support and collaboration of regional agencies and development partners in advancing education in the OECS; and

IV. Share innovative ideas and successful practices that have contributed to educational development at the national and regional levels.

Included on the agenda for the two-day session are:

• Education Report on the status of education, the implementation of the OECS Education Sector Strategy (OESS) and the OECS Digital Learning System;
• Curriculum and Assessment;
• Professional Development; and
• OECS Digital Learning System.

The 8^th OECS Council of Ministers of Education Meeting will also feature the youth perspective through a youth-led panel discussion entitled “Youth Speaks: Education”. The segment will provide a platform for youth participants to engage in dialogue on issues in education such as assessment, data- driven development, and education governance.

The Honourable Daryll Mathew, Minister of Education, Antigua and Barbuda in a statement, remarked: 

The very existence and growth of this Council is evidence that the Eastern Caribbean States represented by this august body value collaboration. Together, we can revolutionize education; together, we can strategize to achieve galactic technological innovations; together, the goals we articulate and record can become visible realities for the 650,000 citizens of our region. The theme for this meeting, “Touching Lives through Data-Driven Development” encapsulates a powerful vision for the region. It is, undeniably, a lofty ideal, but it is a necessary direction for education in the region.

His Excellency, Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, emphasized the opportunity before the region to collaboratively revolutionize education in the OECS. He stated:

“The theme: “Touching Lives through Data-Driven Development” for the Eighth (8^th) Council of Ministers: Education was intentional, as the Commission seeks to influence decision-making grounded in reliable, real-time, precise data. However, for this transition to be effective, harmonization of data systems has to be a high priority of all Member States.”

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