As schools across Barbados and the wider CARICOM region reopen their doors, the familiar rhythm of uniforms, timetables and morning traffic returns.
It’s that time of year again. For many parents, it is a time of relief, as their children settle into the school routine. For many students, it is the excitement of returning to see friends and engage with their clubs and activities. For some teachers, it is the moment to gird their loins and go ‘once more unto the breach’, carrying out their vocation of shaping young minds and lives.
The excitement of a new academic year is often tempered by a host of concerns shared by parents, students and educators alike. From mental health pressures to exam stress and financial strain, the back-to-school season in 2025 is more than just a return to routine—it is a complex balancing act.
Mental and medical health: A growing priority in Caribbean classrooms
Parents are increasingly worried about their children’s mental well-being, with concerns about anxiety, depression and social isolation topping the list. Pressures from bullying, peer influence, social media and AI are also relevant and growing. The rise in screen time and exposure to social media has only intensified these worries.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George, highlighted disturbing trends on September 3: Barbados’ 24-hour mental health hotline has received more than 6 500 calls since its launch in February 2024, with 40 per cent of those calls coming from children and teenagers. Dr George stated that the high number of youth callers “highlights the urgent need for mental health services that are affordable, accessible and culturally sensitive”. He added: “Young people are struggling with anxiety, depression and stress.”
Bullying remains a top worry for many parents. Understanding school policies on anti-bullying, ensuring those policies are effective, and building strong relationships with teachers are critical strategies.
The emotional well-being of students has become a pressing issue. In Barbados, where academic pressures and challenging social dynamics can weigh heavily, parents are increasingly advocating for more robust mental health support in schools. Advocacy groups have highlighted the need for trauma-informed approaches, especially for students affected by educational disruptions, displacement or systemic inequities.
This year, approximately 3 500 children are entering secondary school for the first time, a huge transition from small primary classrooms to large schools of up to 1 000 students, and from three core subjects to ten. Some experience disappointment with their placements and carry the weight of society’s judgement. A similar number are preparing for the 2026 BSSEE, while older peers are preparing for CXC exams or leaving school at ages 16–18. Each transition can trigger heightened anxiety and calls for targeted support. While some transition programmes exist, concerns linger about how widespread and financially accessible they are.
The number of guidance counsellors, school psychologists and peer support programmes—needed at both primary and secondary levels—is slowly increasing, but access remains uneven. For many families, particularly in under-resourced communities, mental health struggles remain unspoken until they erupt in crisis.
The Ministry of Health’s new Adolescent Health Policy, recently announced and focused on preventative care for young people, is a welcome step. Its success, however, will depend on coordinated implementation and resourcing across both the Ministries of Health and Educational Transformation.
It is encouraging to see leadership by the ministry and mental health professionals in prioritising resources, offering counselling and expanding partnerships. But for many families, instability and trauma compound the emotional burden. Mental health challenges can manifest in disruptive behaviour both inside and outside classrooms. As the new year begins, it is hoped that resources will be available to identify and support vulnerable students promptly.
Concerns also extend to physical health. Rising childhood obesity rates and non-communicable diseases such as pre-diabetes are alarming. While parents try to provide nutritious school meals, affordability is a growing challenge. The Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition has been crucial in keeping attention focused on this issue.
The cost of education: financial pressures mount
For too many parents, it has been a significant struggle to outfit their children to the required standards. The 1980s calypso line comes to mind: “Rice gone up… and me salary cut back!”—and the question remains, how are parents coping with the rising costs?
Back-to-school shopping has become a financial hurdle. Parents report spending $480 per child for five shirts and five skirts, and around the same for a backpack and a pair of shoes. This does not include other supplies, games uniforms, and extracurricular costs. Many parents are going into debt or turning to charitable assistance to meet these demands. Foreign exchange shortages and new tariffs may also be driving up import prices.
The tradition of passing down books and uniforms is not just cultural; it is an economic necessity. Regional governments have made progress with textbook rental schemes and school feeding programmes, but gaps persist. Across Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Guyana, parents echo calls for greater transparency and equity in school procurement and funding.
Education transformation must also address whether uniforms could be modified to include more affordable polo shirt options, especially given the rising classroom heat from climate change. Schools themselves are under strain from staffing and resource shortages, making PTA involvement and community fundraising ever more important.
Exam fairness and inclusiveness
Discrimination and exam-related stress rank high among Caribbean parents’ concerns. Annual controversies with CXC persist. In 2025, hundreds of master teachers flagged significant flaws in the CSEC Principles of Accounting exam. Errors were also found in the CAPE Unit 2 Pure Mathematics exam, alongside systemic grading inconsistencies and easily preventable invigilation failures. These have worsened student anxiety, with little official acknowledgement or commitment to redress.
The persistence of such issues undermines fairness and parental confidence in the system. Students and teachers alike can feel as though outcomes depend less on effort and more on a “lucky dip” of flawed exam processes. Advocacy groups continue to demand clearer redress mechanisms and more inclusive assessment practices that reflect the diverse strengths of Caribbean learners.
For children with special educational needs, creating safe and inclusive classrooms is paramount. Some policies are evolving, but implementation remains inconsistent across CARICOM states.
The invisible load: Parents as silent coordinators
Parents hope infrastructural and environmental maintenance works will be completed before the term begins. At the same time, the controversial school grooming policy, the subject of national debate this year, is expected to be restated, monitored and enforced in the 2025–26 year. Consistency and clarity for both students and parents are essential.
Barbadian and Caribbean parents—especially mothers—often shoulder an invisible burden managing transport, timetables, homework and extracurricular activities. With many juggling multiple jobs and caregiving duties, the physical and emotional toll is significant. Flexible workplace policies, community support and genuine school-family partnerships are key to easing this load.
As this school year unfolds, Caribbean families are not simply preparing children for academic success; they are advocating for a system that is fair, inclusive and responsive to the lived realities of the region. From Bridgetown to Basseterre, from Kingston to Castries, the message is clear: education must empower, not overwhelm.
In this context, advocacy groups, including our own, continue diligently to press for fairness in examination systems and to collaborate constructively with education stakeholders both nationally and regionally.
These concerns resonate deeply. Ensuring that every child—regardless of background—feels safe, supported and seen is not just a goal, but a necessity.
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