BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Barbados has built a solid track record of investing in education, and it has a clear opportunity to ensure that investment translates into the skills students need in the world of work, according to a World Bank Education Public Expenditure Review released today during the launch of the Barbados Education Sector Transformation program.
The review finds that Barbados allocates approximately 4.9 percent of GDP to education – broadly aligned with international benchmarks, and the education budget has remained relatively stable and protected during economic shocks. This has helped the country to achieve near-universal enrollment at the primary and secondary levels.
Yet, the system has struggled to translate that investment into workforce-relevant skills, with employers citing the quality of education and training as a key reason for skills shortages. Foundational skills deficits emerge as early as primary school. In 2023, around 30 percent of students did not demonstrate acceptable mathematics performance on end-of-primary national exams, and widen through secondary education.
According to the Barbados ministry of education transformation: “This review reinforces the imperative of aligning educational investment with national development priorities and the evolving demands of the global economy. As we advance education transformation in Barbados, our commitment remains focused on building a more equitable, future-oriented, and resilient system that empowers every learner with the competencies required to compete and lead globally.”
The review highlights opportunities to further strengthen equity within the education system, noting that academic performance correlates strongly with socioeconomic background as merit-based scholarships disproportionately benefit higher-income households. In 2017, 61 percent of scholarship funding went to students from the wealthiest quintile, while only 8 percent reached the poorest. Also identified were inefficiencies in resource use. Declining student-to-teacher ratios, driven by falling birth rates have not translated into improved learning outcomes. At the same time, relatively high spending on tertiary education and rising costs from grade repetition in upper secondary point to opportunities to strengthen the efficiency and targeting of education spending.
Introducing early diagnostic assessments and targeted remediation programs to address literacy and numeracy gaps and developing a comprehensive national teacher policy that strengthens professional development and includes performance incentives, are some of the recommendations the review makes. It also calls for expanding access to early childhood education by converting underutilised space in primary schools into nursery classrooms. The report recommends a systematic infrastructure investment strategy that introduces climate-resilient school upgrades. To enhance equity, the report calls for targeting support to students from lower-income households. The Barbados education sector transformation program, recently approved by the bank, will support Barbados in the implementation of many priority findings of the review.
“Barbados has built a strong foundation near universal access to education and a committed teaching workforce. But translating that investment into the skills students need in a changing economy requires a sharper focus on quality, equity, and resilience,” said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank director for the Caribbean. “The World Bank is pleased to support Barbados in this transformation.”
- Navigating Change: Review of Education Expenditure and Resilience in Barbados (English)