Education in Barbados

[7] This initiative provided for four key improvements: (a) repairs to 73 of the public primary and secondary school buildings; (b) new units established by the Ministry to support new teaching methodologies, including the Shell Media Resources Review Center, the National Educational Evaluation and Research Centre (at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill), and a Programme office within the Ministry; enhancements to the technological availability (new computers, software and networking); (d) in-service training for all teachers in technology integration, child-centred methodologies, and special needs education; and (e) curricular reform to respond to changes in Barbados society.

These efforts, aimed at immediate amelioration and preparation for freedom, underscored the importance of "civilizing and Christianizing" the slave population through education.

Despite resistance from planters, Bishop William Hart Coleridge and others established day and Sunday schools, emphasizing moral and religious instruction.

Post-emancipation, educational expansion continued with British government support through existing missionary societies into the 1840s, aiming to provide moral and religious instruction to the newly emancipated population.

[8] In Barbados, the educational journey for children typically begins at primary school, commencing at the age of 5 and continuing until around 11 years old.

This standardized test was implemented to allocate placements in secondary schools across the island and marked a significant development in the educational system.

[10] During his tenure as Prime Minister, The Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow introduced free education in Barbados, ensuring that all children had access to schooling regardless of their background.

[12] In 2009, Ronald Jones as the Minister of Education and Human Resource Development said the Barbados government spent $290 million to upgrade the schools with information technology.