The Ministry of Social Development and Education gathered the island’s educators, planners and policymakers on Thursday, 21st August 2025 to do something that has never been done before in Anguilla — launch an Education Statistical Digest. Alongside this historic moment, the ceremony also marked the opening of the Educational Development Plan (EDP) Review 2025, a key exercise that shapes the island’s five-year education strategy.
The event was chaired by Permanent Secretary of Education, Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake, and brought together an audience of principals, teachers, and stakeholders spanning from preschool to tertiary level.
Welcoming those present, Dr. Richardson-Lake described the Digest as “more than a compilation of studies.” She said, “It’s a comprehensive portrait of our education system over the past decade, capturing key trends, progress made and the challenges we must address together.” Her words framed the Digest as both a mirror and a roadmap — not simply numbers on paper, but evidence to shape the next chapter of Anguilla’s education.
Educational Services Planner, Mrs. Dawn P. Reid, put the significance of the day plainly: “It is the point at which we pause, reflect on what is going well within the education system, and where we are not going so well.” She reminded the audience that the 2020–2025 EDP had run its course, and now the sector must turn its attention to 2025–2030. The Digest, she explained, will be central in shaping new objectives and strategies.
Mrs. Reid underscored the Digest’s role as a milestone: “It documents changes and trends in the education sector over the last ten years.” She also expressed gratitude to RESEMBID and the European Union for funding, as well as the former Minister of Education Ms. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers for recognising its importance, and to the current Minister the Hon. Mrs. Shellya Rogers-Webster for continuing the work.
The Digest covers enrolment, assessments, and education financing from 2014–2024, offering Anguilla its first clear, consolidated statistical picture of its education sector. Some of the numbers speak volumes. Between 2014 and 2024, total student enrolment across preschool, primary and secondary schools fell by 14.2%. While primary enrolment dipped, the number of teachers grew, shifting teacher-pupil ratios. Additionally, between 2019 and 2022, 79% of students enrolled in Special Education Needs (SEN) were male, while at the Anguilla Community College, females also consistently outnumbered males, averaging 70% of enrolment.
Assessment scores told a mixed story: Grade 6 learners holding steady with at least 75% reaching benchmark scores in the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) until a dip to 68% in 2023–2024. Girls continued to lead boys in the National Test of Standards, particularly in Language Arts, while, in secondary school, boys often edged ahead in CSEC Mathematics (except in 2019 and 2020). Conversely, girls consistently achieved stronger results in CSEC English.
A worrying trend emerged in Mathematics: in 2014, 55% of students obtained Grades 1–3 in CSEC Maths, but by 2024 this figure had slipped to 31%, with the sharpest falls in the past two years. On a brighter note, literacy remained strong, with up to 97% of secondary students reading at an acceptable level.
On the financial front, the Digest revealed a fluctuating share of government resources allocated to education. Though the absolute education budget increased over the decade, its slice of the national pie shrank — dipping to its lowest in 2022 (11.79%), before rebounding slightly in 2023 to 13.18%. It is important to note that the financial data in the Digest relates solely to the Department of Education and does not capture the full scope of budgetary allocations connected to education.
Meanwhile, Minister Rogers-Webster hailed the Digest as an essential tool for informed policymaking. Acknowledging that not all the data reflects glowing success, she noted, “It is a reflection of who we are and causes us to reflect and assess to make sure that we can make solid decisions moving forward.”
She also further emphasised the Government of Anguilla’s commitment to strengthening education, both in vision and in financial investment.
The symbolic handover of the Digest between Mrs. Reid to Minister Rogers-Webster marked the close of the morning’s ceremony — and the opening of what promises to be spirited discussions over the next two days as stakeholders chart the 2025–2030 education plan.
If the numbers in the Digest reveal anything, it is that Anguilla’s education system has strengths worth celebrating and challenges worth tackling head-on. And as the EDP review gets underway, those numbers will shape classrooms, teaching strategies, and ultimately, the futures of Anguilla’s children.
By Janissa Fleming
