GREAT BAY--The final Foundation Based Education Evaluation Report has found that while Foundation Based Education was introduced with the goal of creating a more equitable and student-centered education system, only partial implementation was realized due to gaps in sustained systemic support, legislative alignment, funding continuity and structured implementation.
The report also points to the need for clearer curriculum benchmarks, stronger alignment between curriculum and examinations, improved teacher support, more resources in classrooms, a more balanced approach to secondary school placement and greater coherence across the education system.
Commissioned by the Ministry of ECYS, the final report was submitted by the C.L.I.M.B. Foundation to the Department of Education on November 28, 2025. Following its submission, the report underwent an internal technical review to ensure completeness, internal consistency and alignment with existing policy and legislative frameworks before being submitted for formal ministerial consideration.
An advice to approve the final evaluation report was submitted to Minister of ECYS Melissa Gumbs in January 2026. The Minister subsequently approved the advice, and the report was formally signed off in February 2026.
The formal approval confirms the Ministry’s acceptance of the report as a policy-guiding document and establishes the basis for the next phase of education reform in St. Maarten.
The evaluation found that FBE commenced after years of research and stakeholder consultation, with a vision to restructure education toward greater equity. One of the intended goals was to extend selection-free education up to age 14. However, the report concluded that the model was never fully implemented as intended.
According to the report, the absence of sustained support across the system constrained the effectiveness of FBE. These gaps included insufficient legislative alignment, lack of funding continuity and the absence of structured mechanisms to support implementation over time.
On curriculum, the report found that the FBE curriculum, while in need of updating, is generally comparable to those in the region and aligns with the OECS Four Pillars of Education. However, several challenges were identified, including the absence of clearly defined grade-level benchmarks, perceived misalignment between the curriculum and examinations, limited resources for delivery and concerns from stakeholders about whether the curriculum adequately prepares students for examinations and secondary education.
The report notes that the absence of grade-level benchmarks also reflects a tension within the FBE model itself. While the lack of benchmarks is consistent with the multi-age and non-graded principles of Foundation Based Education, it has created practical challenges for teachers.
In the classroom, the evaluation found that although FBE is aligned with principles such as differentiation and child-centered learning, implementation has been limited by several realities. Teacher-centered instruction remains dominant where collaborative, active learning structures should be promoting student autonomy. The report also identified inconsistent use of differentiated teaching strategies, large class sizes, diverse learning needs, limited teaching assistants, insufficient learning materials and inadequate ICT resources, particularly in public schools.
Additional challenges include gaps in English as a Second Language support, low engagement in professional development and limited access to FBE-aligned instructional materials and past examination papers.
The report also highlights concerns around secondary school placement. While placement decisions should be based on both educational reports and FBE Exit Examination results, the FBE Exit Examination continues to carry significant weight for intake committees.
Stakeholders questioned the fairness and reliability of the examination as a sole indicator, although the exam was never intended to function that way. Evidence reviewed in the report showed only a weak to moderate correlation between FBE exam performance and secondary school success. Concerns also remain regarding exam stress, equity and curriculum alignment.
These findings underscore the need to rebalance assessment practices and establish a more holistic and equitable approach to student placement.
The report further identifies leadership and system coherence as critical to sustaining reform. Challenges include inconsistent political leadership and administrative continuity, lack of updated legislation and structured training systems, absence of sustainable funding mechanisms and fragmentation across the education system.
The Ministry of ECYS is now conducting a structured review of both the FBE Evaluation Report and the results of the Early Grade Reading Assessment and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment, known as EGRA and EGMA. Although distinct, the Ministry recognizes that the two must be reviewed together to ensure a coherent and effective response to current learning outcomes.
This integrated review is intended to support a more complete understanding of the factors contributing to student performance, including curriculum design, instructional practices and system-level implementation challenges.
Based on the findings, the Ministry will engage key stakeholders to define targeted, evidence-informed next steps that are practical and sustainable within the current education system. The approach is intended to avoid fragmented or short-term interventions and instead support coordinated improvement in foundational learning.
The Ministry is also finalizing efforts to secure funding from the Temporary Work Organization, TWO, to undertake a more comprehensive review and revision of the FBE curriculum at the primary education level. This review will be guided by the recommendations in the FBE Evaluation Report and will focus on strengthening curriculum clarity, alignment and implementation support.
The initiative forms part of a broader effort to improve coherence across the education system by better aligning curriculum design, assessment frameworks, teacher support and student outcomes.
Once funding is secured, the Ministry intends to proceed with a phased curriculum revision process. This will include structured stakeholder engagement and targeted capacity-building to support effective implementation. At present, no definitive timeline has been established because the formal funding request still has to be submitted. Once funding is confirmed, a detailed implementation plan and timeline will be developed and communicated.
The evaluation outlines several recommendations for curriculum improvement, including streamlining the curriculum by introducing clear benchmarks, placing greater emphasis on mastery of core competencies, improving alignment between curriculum and examinations, updating curriculum content to reflect modern educational standards and strengthening phonics and reading fluency instruction.
Collectively, these recommendations aim to address gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy, which have also been highlighted in the national EGRA and EGMA assessments.
The report also recommends instructional improvements, including providing adequate resources to support prescribed teaching practices, strengthening teacher training in differentiated instruction and implementing continuous professional development in areas such as experiential learning, project-based learning, reading instruction and portfolio development.
Other recommendations include integrating technology to support individualized learning, promoting team teaching models, establishing mentoring and induction programs for new teachers and providing specialized support for teachers working with students with special needs.
The evaluation also calls for improvements to the learning environment, including reducing class sizes where feasible, improving physical learning environments, creating safe and stimulating spaces for learning through play and upgrading classroom infrastructure, including furniture and overall classroom conditions.
In assessment and testing, the report recommends revisiting the FBE Exit Examination to establish a more balanced assessment system that includes both academic and skills-based components. It also recommends shifting toward Assessment for Learning, ensuring that students receive timely and effective remediation support.
This reflects a broader shift from high-stakes testing toward continuous and formative assessment models that better support student progression and learning outcomes.
The report further recommends systemic improvements, including stronger alignment between education philosophy, curriculum, instruction, assessment and legislation. It also recommends exploring alternative secondary school structures, introducing stronger accountability mechanisms for school boards, improving communication between the Ministry and schools and using data from EGRA, EGMA and FBE Exit Examinations to guide interventions.
Additional recommendations include investing in educational leadership development, providing continuous professional support to teachers and school leaders, developing strategies to attract, prepare and retain qualified educators, considering the phasing out of the FBE designation with greater focus on strengthening student-centered teaching practices, and establishing an Education Improvement Advisory Committee to guide long-term sector development.
The Ministry said the approved report and ongoing integrated review represent an important step toward a more coherent, better supported and results-driven education system for St. Maarten, with a clear focus on foundational learning, teacher support, curriculum alignment and sustainable reform.
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