Objectives

To support the efforts of the peoples and the governments of the OECS to continue to make the transition from development strategies based on the exploitation of natural resources to strategies based on the development of human resources, knowledge generation and master of technology.

• To continue to inspire the peoples and governments of the OECS to shape the developmental imperatives determining their future by the exercise of their creative imagination and problem-solving capabilities.
• To strengthen and further promote cooperation, collaboration, sharing and learning from each other’s experiences in the process of educational development in the OECS.
• To facilitate, on a sub-regional basis, the incorporation of new ideas, thinking and approaches to education developed inside and outside of the OECS and the Caribbean.
• To minimise ad-hocracy in education in the OECS and continue to replace it with a planned long-term approach with the built-in capacity for research, evaluation of progress and the ability to make needed adjustments.
• To preserve the cultural sovereignty of the sub-region and to provide a framework for cultural enrichment.

General Philosophy

The continuing reform of education in the OECS seeks to establish circumstances for inspiring noble visions of the Caribbean society and of the “Ideal Caribbean Person” as described by the Human Resources Protocol from the 18 th meeting of the CARICOM Heads at Montego Bay in 1998. The Caribbean region, though relatively poor in terms of natural resources, is rich in its potential of advancing notions of civilisation premised on the common humanity of people who originated from different continents and ethnic communities. Education must always be a civilising force and the continuing reform of education in the OECS takes account of a global vision of human civilisation and humanity and seeks to re-position the Caribbean in the mainstream of advancing civilisation in contemporary times.

Central to the continuing reform of education with the OECS is the harmonisation of education systems in the nine member states. By establishing a common system of education the sub-region seeks:

• To benefit from economies of scales in numerous areas including the production and purchase of textbooks, learning materials, school supplies and several other such areas.
• More efficient deployment of talent and freer internal movement of such talent.
• Pooling and sharing resources in effecting critical and important education functions such as planning, research, curriculum development and testing and evaluation.
• More effective functional cooperation among member states.
• Higher levels of sustainability of interventions designed to improve the delivery of education including its quality.