– To push digital transformation agenda, equity in regional education systems
TODAY, Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, is set to deliver the feature address at the inaugural Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Regional Education Conference, positioning Guyana at the centre of ongoing efforts to reshape education across the Caribbean.
The three-day conference, which runs from March 16 to 18 at the Jamaica Pegasus, is being held under the theme, “Navigating the Digital Age: Rethinking Teaching, Learning and Assessment.” It brings together regional education ministers, policymakers and technical experts to confront the realities of a rapidly evolving, technology-driven education landscape.
Minister Parag is attending in her dual capacity as Guyana’s Education Minister and Chairperson of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Education.
Her participation is expected to play a major role in aligning technical discussions emerging from the forum with high-level policy direction at the upcoming Ministerial Summit.
According to the Ministry of Education, “her address serves as the critical bridge between the technical discussions of this inaugural forum and the Ministerial Summit which will follow.”
In what is shaping up to be a policy-driven intervention, Parag is expected to make a strong case for leveraging digital technologies to address persistent gaps in literacy and numeracy across the region. She will also advocate for a calibrated approach to digital transformation, ensuring that modernisation does not deepen inequality.
The Ministry noted that, “as COHSOD Chair, [she will] challenge regional leaders to ensure that digital tools are used strategically to close equity gaps.”
The conference itself reflects a decisive pivot in regional education policy, moving beyond the temporary, “emergency” online learning frameworks adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, towards a permanent and structured digital education ecosystem.
Key discussions will focus on the integration of artificial intelligence, the expansion of electronic testing, and the development of new assessment models designed to better prepare Caribbean students for a competitive, technology-driven global economy.
Stakeholders are also expected to examine how education systems can be re-engineered to ensure that Caribbean qualifications remain relevant, while simultaneously raising standards in core competencies such as literacy and numeracy.
The Ministry underscored that Minister Parag’s role at the conference “underscores Guyana’s significant influence in shaping the Caribbean’s educational transformation agenda.”
Accompanying the Minister are Chief Planning Officer Mischka White-Griffith, Assistant Chief Education Officer (Secondary) Sherwyn Blackman, and Superintendent of Examinations, Sauda Kadir.
The outcomes of the conference are anticipated to inform a new regional framework for education delivery, assessment and digital integration, with long-term implications for workforce readiness and economic competitiveness across CARICOM member states.
