EGMA, EGRA results give St. Maarten a roadmap for education reform

GREAT BAY--Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs told Parliament that the results of the Early Grade Reading Assessment and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment must be treated as more than a set of test scores, describing them as a guide for targeted reform across St. Maarten’s education system.

Responding to questions from Members of Parliament, Gumbs said the advice presenting the EGMA results for Group 3 and the national assessment results for Group 5 was formally approved on February 16, 2026. A working draft had been shared with her earlier, in November 2025. She said the Ministry recognizes the seriousness of the findings, but stressed that the response must be evidence-based, structured and sustainable, rather than reactive.

According to the Minister, national assessments were only introduced for Group 3 in 2023, which means St. Maarten does not have 10 years of historical data to compare against. However, she said the results now available provide an important baseline, showing where the most urgent gaps exist in literacy and numeracy and where support should be directed.

The latest EGRA, or Early Grade Reading Assessment, and EGMA, or Early Grade Mathematics Assessment, were presented to Parliament by the Minister in February. The results pointed to serious weaknesses in foundational learning among young students in St. Maarten, particularly in basic reading and mathematics skills that are expected to be secure by the early grades.

According to the figures presented at the time, 85 percent of Group 3 students were classified as “emerging” in number identification, while 80 percent of Group 5 students were “emerging” in multiplication and division. Only 2 percent of Group 5 students had reached mastery in that core mathematics area. The reading results also raised concern, with only one in four Group 5 students reaching mastery in oral reading fluency. In public schools, two-thirds of students in both Group 3 and Group 5 were still in the “emerging” category for oral reading fluency.

During her presentation, Gumbs explained that the results were assessed using three national performance levels: mastery, developing and emerging. Students classified as “emerging” are at the beginning stage of acquiring the knowledge and skills expected at their grade level. This means they require reteaching, repeated practice and continued assessment. In practical terms, the classification shows that the student is below the expected standard and needs significant support.

The Minister said the results should concern not only government and educators, but the wider community, because they reveal major learning gaps in the basic reading and mathematics skills that form the foundation for future learning.

Gumbs said the Ministry is reviewing the EGRA and EGMA results alongside the Foundation Based Education evaluation to better understand the wider system issues affecting student performance. These include curriculum alignment, classroom support, implementation challenges, progress monitoring and the overall structure of learning in the early grades. She said the reports should not be treated as the end of the process, but as a compass for the work ahead.

The Ministry has already shared the assessment findings with school boards and school management, with instructions that the results be discussed with teachers and, where appropriate, with parents. Schools are expected to translate the findings into practical interventions, including targeted remediation plans, grade-level literacy and numeracy targets, small-group interventions for students performing below benchmarks and periodic progress assessments to monitor student growth.

Gumbs said schools will also be expected to engage in structured review moments with the Ministry during the year. The objective, she explained, is to avoid short-term or fragmented responses and instead build a coordinated approach to improving foundational learning outcomes across the system.

A follow-up national assessment is planned for 2027 for Groups 3, 5 and 7, with support through the Trust Fund. The Minister said that assessment will provide comparative data to determine whether interventions are working, whether students are progressing and where adjustments are needed.

The Minister also addressed concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on learning. She said the Group 3 report explicitly notes that the tested cohort began school during the 2020 lockdown, which likely affected early education and development. While the Group 5 national assessment report does not directly name COVID-19, Gumbs said the context remains relevant because those students were in their foundational learning years during the pandemic. She pointed to persistent challenges in areas such as multiplication, division, fractions and oral reading fluency, which she said are consistent with learning loss patterns seen internationally after pandemic-related school disruptions.

At the same time, Gumbs said the reports also show signs of recovery. She noted that reading comprehension mastery rose from approximately 4 percent for the 2023 Group 3 cohort to 44 percent for the same cohort in Group 5 in 2025. Oral reading fluency mastery also increased from approximately 5 percent to 20 percent over the same period. The Minister said these gains suggest that the system is recovering, although the remaining gaps remain serious.

Responding to questions about school performance, Gumbs cautioned against broad conclusions that one school type is always stronger than another. She said both public and subsidized schools operate within the same national education framework, curriculum standards, assessment systems and quality oversight mechanisms. According to her, the reports show that schools perform differently across different skills. A school may be strong in reading comprehension but weaker in fluency, or show strength in numeracy while struggling in other areas.

She said subsidized schools outperformed public schools on some measures, while public schools edged out subsidized schools in number discrimination. The school-by-school figures, she said, show nuance within both systems and should be used to identify where schools cluster in high mastery, emerging performance or areas needing targeted support.

Gumbs also rejected the idea that literacy and numeracy should be viewed separately from vocational education. Responding to questions about carpentry and other technical pathways, she said foundational skills matter for every future path. Students pursuing construction, for example, still need to calculate quantities, interpret plans, communicate clearly and solve problems. In that sense, she said, literacy and numeracy are not separate from vocational success, they help make it possible.

The Minister also told Parliament that some data requested by MPs, such as whether students came from single-parent homes or whether parents work more than one job, was not included in the assessments. She said while such data could help explain external factors affecting student performance, the assessments were administered directly to Group 3 students, approximately six years old, making those types of questions developmentally inappropriate.

On regional cooperation, Gumbs said no formal Kingdom-level discussion has yet taken place specifically on the EGMA results. However, the Ministry continues to collaborate through established Kingdom mechanisms that allow dialogue, knowledge exchange and alignment on education policy across the Dutch Caribbean. She also pointed to the introduction of the LVS Best student tracking platform, which provides access to standardized assessments, analysis tools and guidance to help schools monitor student performance in a more structured way.

The Minister further acknowledged that education outcomes are affected by broader social conditions. She said family circumstances, public health, social support, infrastructure, safety and the financial reality of the country all influence learning. A Council of Ministers retreat was held to discuss national priorities and cross-ministerial challenges, and Gumbs said continued coordination will be needed, particularly with ministries responsible for public health, social development, labor, justice and youth support.

Budget constraints were also raised as a major concern. Gumbs said the 2026 budget cuts are expected to affect vacancies, staffing levels, technical and specialized roles, operational expenses, program implementation, maintenance and support services. She said the constraints could limit the Ministry’s ability to advance new policy initiatives, scale ongoing reforms and respond quickly to emerging needs in education, culture, youth and sports.

When asked where the Ministry would be next year if the cuts continue, Gumbs said it would likely remain in much the same position, still looking for funding while trying not to sacrifice long-term plans for one-off solutions. She said difficult decisions may be required, but argued that long-term reform cannot continue to be delayed.

Several MPs urged the Minister to move quickly, especially where community organizations and volunteers have already offered support. MP Sjamarie Roseburg, in particular, cautioned that children should not be left waiting while policies are still being finalized. Gumbs responded that while she understands the frustration, St. Maarten has suffered from what she described as shortcut governance, where rushing without proper policy or structure can create deeper problems. She said the Ministry must balance urgency with child protection, proper procedures and long-term system building.

Gumbs said community support remains important, but added that government’s role is often to facilitate and support initiatives rather than take over or bypass necessary safeguards. She said parents also have a responsibility to make use of literacy and numeracy programs that already exist in the community.

MP Sarah Wescot-Williams called for a clear education plan with targets and timelines, so Parliament can track progress on the recommendations from the education review and the assessment findings. Gumbs said she would provide a written response, while MP Darryl York also requested a list of Ministry initiatives, timelines and how they relate to the budget.

The Minister closed by stressing that education reform cannot be carried by the Ministry alone. She said parental engagement, teacher engagement and broader community involvement are critical to the success of any reform effort. The assessment results, she indicated, have given St. Maarten a clearer picture of where the system is struggling, but turning that data into better outcomes will require coordination, funding, discipline and national commitment.

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