BVI Allocates $76.2M to Education
The 2026 budget allocates $76.2 million to the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports to continue school modernisation, teacher training and youth programmes. Officials say funds will support climate-resilient classrooms, digital learning tools and new school construction across the territory.
The Government has designated $76.2 million in the 2026 budget for the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports as part of a multi-year push to modernise schools, expand teacher training and bolster youth development across the British Virgin Islands. Officials said the allocation follows a year of major infrastructure work on public school campuses, including reconstruction and repairs to buildings that suffered from age and storm damage.
Recent rehabilitation projects have included reinforced roofing, upgraded plumbing and electrical systems, restored water capacity, standardised windows and doors, climate-resilient improvements, CCTV installations, and refurbished playgrounds and sports courts. Education Minister Sharie de Castro said the Ministry built its priorities around direct feedback from the education community. 'We consulted with our educators and they identified three priority needs: infrastructure, resources, and training,' she said. 'Our mandate is to continue strengthening each of these areas in a sustainable way… because we want to give them exactly what they need in order to achieve improved student outcomes.' A key milestone this year was the opening of the Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre, the first purpose-built special education school in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
The Ministry said the centre sets a new standard for inclusive education in the territory. Looking ahead, designs for a replacement Althea Scatliffe Primary School are expected to be finalised in 2025 with construction slated to begin in 2026. Plans also include a vocational and technical secondary school on the eastern end of Tortola and a student dormitory project at H Lavity Stoutt Community College, which officials say will help students from the outer islands access tertiary and technical education.
The Ministry highlighted continued investment in digital learning — smart boards, robotics kits and upgraded computer labs — and pointed to the territory’s growing presence in STEM: the BVI robotics team placed 42nd out of 181 countries and first in the OECS at the FIRST Global Robotics Competition.
Government representatives said the 2026 allocation will further support climate-ready classrooms, inclusive learning spaces and expanded youth and sports programmes designed to strengthen discipline, confidence and teamwork among young people. For BVI residents, officials framed the funding as a long-term investment in resilience, workforce readiness and broader social development as the education transformation continues into next year.
Primary source: BVI News