Saint Lucia Labour Party recalls steps taken to enhance education sector

Castries, Saint Lucia: The Saint Lucia Labour Party recalled the steps and measures that were taken to enhance the educational sector over the past few years. From establishing state-of-the-art classrooms to financial assistance, the government outlined those steps during Children's Day.

The first step is to provide professional training to early childhood educators, aiming to stregthen the educational system of Saint Lucia. The government of Saint Lucia also announced subsidy to private preschools. It was introduced at $2,500 in 2024 and has been increased to $3,000 in 2025.

The rehabilitation and expansion of early childhood facilities have been launched across the island to improve the sector and assist students. The Saint Lucia Labour Party added that they are working to improve the education sector and create new opportunities for the students across the country in the next few years.

In addition to that, nine new state-of-the-art early childhood classrooms have been commissioned in Saint Lucia to improve the educational infrastructure. The Labour Party noted that they reflect on their growing investments to uplift their children.

Prime Minister Philip J Pierre added, “We stand firm, every child deserves a strong start, a bright future, and the full care of their nation.” Along with that, PM Pierre added that a $100 termly subsidy per child has been announced for children at private early childhood centres.

Furthermore, the government of Saint Lucia has paid for four CXC subjects per student; those who left school within one year remain eligible. The facility fees have also been paid for over 24,000 students across the island for the past three years.

A $500 bursary has also been awarded to every student entering Form 1, easing the cost of transition to secondary school. PM Pierre added that $5 million has also been awarded to parents as an educational assistance to parents for years for books, uniforms and school supplies.

In addition to that, over 5,560 households received direct educational assistance to keep children in school on a yearly basis. The Saint Lucian government also hosted a national language policy conference to institutionalize language initiatives.