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.”
Alison Drayton | Assistant Secretary-General | Human and Social Development | CARICOM
(CARICOM) “Parent-Teacher Associations play a pivotal role in shaping not just the education system, but the broader development of our societies.”
This was the affirmation from Ms Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM. She was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Regional Symposium and Policy Dialogue on Transforming Education (30 September to 2 October 2025) held at the Wyndham Grand Resort in Barbados.
“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. 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,” stated the ASG.
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), in partnership with the Ministry of Educational Transformation, Barbados, successfully hosted the Symposium under the theme “Stronger Together: Empowering Parents as Partners in Caribbean Education.”
Education stakeholders from the Region convened to explore strategies for strengthening the role of parents and guardians as leaders and partners in building inclusive, effective education systems.
Following the successful inaugural staging in 2024, the second edition of the Symposium provided targeted capacity building, opportunities for dialogue with policymakers, and laid the groundwork for a sustainable regional framework to support parental involvement in education. Some 150 participants, including parents, educators, administrators, and Ministers of Education, participated in plenaries, workshops and policy discussions designed to strengthen collaboration and deliver measurable impact.
Ms Drayton celebrated the establishment of the Caribbean Council of National Parent Teacher Associations (CCNPTA), welcoming its newly elected Executive and encouraging regional partners to integrate the Council into governance and policy development frameworks, and issuing a call for the PTAs where none exist.
“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.
