The prime minister hopes that making digital educational content available can lessen the dependence on textbooks.

Speaking at a House sitting where he tabled the 2017 Appropriation Bill, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Hon. Allen M. Chastanet, announced that a comprehensive assessment of all schools will be conducted in an effort to enhance quality and transform the education sector into one that is globally competitive.

“The government will introduce and enforce standards throughout the education system,” he said. “These will include standards for school buildings and infrastructure, school supervision, policy administration, teacher preparation and curriculum delivery.”

The prime minister said the government aims to ensure that students are globally competitive and can thrive in a rapidly changing world.

“We must prepare our students to compete globally by modernizing our curriculum and incorporating technology into the delivery of lessons. The use of ICT must be embraced by students and teachers and a greater effort must be made to incorporate ICT into our education system.”

In keeping with global technological advancements, Prime Minister Chastanet revealed that government will be working to make digital content available, consequently making textbooks a secondary measure in schools.

“The Ministry of Education will work with our teachers to develop digital content catered specifically for students. It is our intention to reduce the dependence on textbooks and create an environment which embraces electronic learning. It is our intention to create a technology literate generation who can use ICT for productive means, and are capable of functioning effectively in a globally, technologically-driven society.”

Additionally, the Ministry of Education will source platforms that allow for independent learning by students and caters to individual learning styles.”