In a significant shift towards student-led policy-making, students are to help rewrite the 1983 Education Act to reflect contemporary challenges and opportunities, Minister of Educational Transformation Senator Chad Blackman announced on Wednesday.Young people’s ideas and concerns will be central to shaping the new legal framework governing education, Blackman told a student council conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.“This is an exciting time,” he said. “For the first time, students will not just be heard but will be an active part of the decision-making process that will define the future of education in Barbados.”He sought to assure the audience that the youth’s involvement in revising the legislation would not be a token exercise but a meaningful shift towards greater student involvement in education policy.“This will not be a talk shop—I can tell you that,” Senator Blackman asserted. “It is about ensuring that students have a real stake in decision-making and that their voices shape the policies that govern their education.”The minister highlighted the importance of student leadership, arguing that young people must be allowed not only to participate in discussions but also to take ownership of the decisions that affect them.“Leadership is not just about having students at the table to tick a box,” he said. “We must give them the latitude to lead, to have a say in governance, and to see that their input leads to action.”
