Every year, the Ministry of Education in Saint Lucia administers the Minimum Standards Test (MST) to students in Grades 2 and 4. This national assessment is designed to determine whether students are mastering the curriculum and meeting required benchmarks, particularly in English Language and Mathematics. The results provide important information that can inform pedagogical practices in our primary schools.
For many students, the MST represents their first high-stakes examination, as it also plays a vital role in decisions regarding grade promotion. Consequently, the period leading up to the examination and the subsequent wait for results can be a source of considerable anxiety for both students and parents. While families hope for positive outcomes across all subject areas, particular attention is often placed on mathematics, as proficiency in this subject is widely associated with academic success and future opportunities.
The importance of mathematics is therefore undeniable. What is less widely acknowledged, though commonly observed among stakeholders, is that success or failure in this subject is influenced by leadership, educational policies and systemic factors that extend far beyond the classroom. These factors have an overwhelming impact on the level of support provided to teachers, and the equitable allocation of resources.
The evidence of declining performance in mathematics at the primary level is difficult to ignore. Data from the Ministry of Education shows a consistent and concerning pattern. In 2016, 33.6% of students who sat the Grade 2 MST in Mathematics scored below the minimum standard of 60%. By Grade 4 in 2018, this figure had risen to 65.2%. Similarly, in 2017, 43.9% of Grade 2 students failed to meet the minimum standard. When this cohort was assessed again in Grade 4 in 2019, 74.5% did not attain the required benchmark.
Data for the years 2020 and 2021 are unavailable, as the MST in mathematics was not administered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, a comparative analysis of the 2018–2020 and 2019–2021 cohorts could not be performed. However, based on the trends observed in previous years, it is reasonable to infer that the pattern of underperformance would likely have persisted. While more recent cohort data (2022–2024 and 2023–2025) are available, official synopses have not yet been published. Accordingly, these cohorts were excluded from the main analysis to ensure that conclusions are based solely on verified and officially reported data. Taken together, the available data indicate a significant decline in performance between Grades 2 and 4.
It is alarming that, while a disproportionately large number of students continue to perform below expected standards in mathematics, little appears to be done by the Ministry of Education to address this perennial problem. The MST, which is intended to serve as a diagnostic tool, is not achieving its objectives, as the results are not being adequately used to inform educational planning, direct resources, or provide additional support to the schools and students most in need.
Moreover, not one national remediation programme has been pioneered to help struggling students overcome their challenges and improve performance. Meanwhile, those responsible under the Education Act for the administration and strategic direction of the education system have not demonstrated decisive leadership and commitment to use available data, resources, and interventions to reverse this longstanding decline in mathematics achievement.
As a graduate-trained Mathematics teacher with nearly two decades of teaching experience, I have made an effort to contribute to addressing these challenges. I authored and published two textbooks: ACHIEVE – A Mathematics Course for Grades 1 to 3 (Volumes 1 and 2), aligned with the national curriculum. These have been reviewed by principals and teachers in both public and private schools and are currently being used in some learning environments.
Further, despite repeated efforts over more than a year, I have been unable to secure a formal meeting with the Chief Education Officer to discuss how these textbooks might be adopted within the primary school system. Nevertheless, I proceeded independently to implement a One Book Per Child Project and obtained private sponsorship worth thousands of dollars to donate mathematics textbooks to students. I also developed a proposal titled Mathematics for Sustainable Development, which sought to improve mathematics achievement among students in Grades 1 to 3 through a targeted remediation programme to address identified learning gaps and strengthen foundational numeracy skills. The proposal also aimed to integrate mathematics with culture through student-centred activities designed to deepen understanding of mathematical concepts by making learning meaningful and culturally relevant. The goal was to foster creativity, collaboration, and a strong sense of community and cultural identity.
The proposal was shared with several District Education Officers. Following a discussion between one of these officers and the Chief Education Officer, I was invited to attend a meeting on 1 June 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at the Office of the Chief Education Officer, where she was scheduled to meet with District Education Officers. Upon arriving, I understood that I would be given an opportunity to present my proposal to those in attendance before the commencement of their meeting. I therefore waited outside the conference room where the meeting was to be held. However, prior to the start of the meeting, the Chief Education Officer stood at the entrance to the conference room and, in the presence of others, questioned why I was there, despite having been invited to attend. Although I had anticipated presenting my proposal, I was not afforded even one minute to do so. Consequently, the proposal was neither presented nor discussed during the meeting.
The way in which the matter was handled was, in my view, discourteous and inconsistent with the level of professionalism expected within senior educational leadership. Therefore, the proposal was not submitted as it was never discussed or approved. I remain confident that, based on my previous success in acquiring sponsorship and the initial discussions with the prospective funder regarding the proposal, funding was likely attainable.
As I bring this article to a close, I must emphasize that students’ performance in mathematics at the lower primary level is deeply concerning, as evidenced by the results of the Minimum Standards Test in Grades 2 and 4. This problem is further compounded by chronic leadership failures, policy gaps, and other systemic issues that have a direct negative impact on teaching and learning.
If this problem is to be properly addressed and the current trend of underperformance reversed, those occupying the highest echelons of the education system, and who are legally responsible for the administration of schools, must be held accountable for educational outcomes in the same manner that principals and teachers are expected to account for the performance of their schools and students.
Therefore, the Minister for Education, Honourable Kenson Casimir, must advance policies that promote accountability and transparency; the Teaching Service Commission must ensure that those policies are effectively enforced; and principals, teachers and parents must find the courage to speak out against favouritism, injustices and inequities in order to champion an educational agenda that serves the interests of all students and contributes to the betterment of our beloved country.