As Guyana observes Teacher’s Appreciation Day, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has underscored the vital role of parents and communities in advancing education across the Region.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Regional Symposium and Policy Dialogue on Transforming Education, Ms. Alison Drayton, CARICOM’s Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development, championed the work of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) as critical partners in both education transformation and regional development.
“PTAs are the bridge between the home and the classroom. When that bridge is strong, it strengthens the learning environment, empowers our educators, and helps cultivate the full potential of every child,” Ms. Drayton stated. “In our Region, where education remains a cornerstone of sustainable development, the role of parents and communities must not be seen as supplementary, but as essential.”
The symposium, held from September 30 to October 2 at the Wyndham Grand Resort in Barbados, was hosted by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in partnership with Barbados’ Ministry of Educational Transformation under the theme “Stronger Together: Empowering Parents as Partners in Caribbean Education.”
Over 150 participants—including parents, educators, administrators, and Ministers of Education—attended plenaries, workshops, and policy discussions aimed at strengthening parental engagement in education systems. This year’s staging built on the success of the inaugural symposium in 2024, offering targeted capacity-building and dialogue with policymakers while advancing efforts toward a sustainable regional framework for parental involvement.
Drayton also welcomed the establishment of the Caribbean Council of National Parent Teacher Associations (CCNPTA), noting that it marks a historic step in integrating parents into governance and policy development.
“We welcome the CCNPTA to the policy development space, look forward to their robust engagement with the issues and commit to ensuring that they are included in the important dialogue and decisions at the highest level possible. We also encourage all partners gathered here to consider how the CCNPTA can be folded into your governance mechanisms, consultative processes and partnership mobilisation activities,” she urged.
Her call came on the same day Guyana celebrates Teacher’s Appreciation Day, a reminder of the integral role educators play in shaping future generations. CARICOM emphasized that partnerships between teachers, parents, and communities remain central to achieving inclusive, high-quality education and sustainable development across the Region.
