On Friday, 4 October, the Premier and Minister for Education, the Honourable Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, led a high-level regional delegation on a visit to three government schools: Red Bay Primary School, the Lighthouse School and the John Gray High School. The visit was aimed at showcasing local education innovations. 

Notable among attendees were the Honourable Sharie B. de Castro, Minister for Education for the British Virgin Islands, the Honourable Ms. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, Minister for Social Development & Education-Anguilla, the Honourable Octavia Alfred, Minister of Education- Dominica, the Honourable Troy Liburd, Minister for Education-Nevis, the Honourable Curtis M. King, Minister of Education and National Reconciliation-St Vincent & the Grenadines, the Honourable Rachel Taylor, Minister for Education-Turks & Caicos, Senator David Andrew, Minister for Education-Grenada, Dr. Didicus Jules, Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Mr. Wayne Wesley, CEO and Registrar of CXC, Mr. Isaac Solomon, President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and other CDB, MOE and DES officials.

Minister Sharie B. de Castro of the British Virgin Islands expressed her admiration for the Cayman Islands’ education facilities, noting, “It is extremely overwhelming to see the progress, the consideration in terms of infrastructure and resources and to witness what a new school model should be.” She likewise underscored the importance of partnership between the two overseas territories, especially her efforts to enhance infrastructural development in the Virgin Islands. 

Anguilla’s Minister for Social Development & Education, the Honourable Ms. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, commended the Lighthouse School on its data-driven and research-based approach, describing it as ‘cutting-edge’. “I think such an approach is the best thing for education irrespective of whether you are looking at a SEN perspective or a regular school to always be mindful of the data,” the Minister noted.

The visiting officials were part of a delegation of approximately 150 persons in the Cayman Islands for the Regional Transforming Education Symposium and Policy Dialogue, held by the CDB co-hosted by the Ministry of Education, from 2-4 October. 

Mark Ray, Director of the Department of Education Services (DES), highlighted the symposium’s significance. “We are excited about the wealth of knowledge and experience that came to these shores from across the region, and we were able to have some wonderful dialogue. We discussed the future of education within the region and sharing experiences and resources. We had the opportunity to share with delegates what we are doing in our system, got some positive feedback and learned a lot from them. The sessions have been beneficial to us all, and we look forward to more regional dialogue.”

The Premier and Minister for Education, the Honourable Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, expressed her satisfaction with the symposium and related activities. “The last two days have been extremely delightful for me to see that within the Caribbean we still have that synergy and that thirst to pursue excellence in education and the Cayman Islands is well on its way to achieving that.”