When we talk about transforming education, our minds often go straight to the curriculum, the training of teachers or the technology in classrooms. Rarely do we stop to think about the people who keep the school itself running. Ancillary staff workers are the backbone of every institution. They open the gates in the morning, clean the floors after hundreds of feet have walked across them, prepare meals and tend to the gardens. Yet in most schools, they remain invisible, spoken about only in passing and rarely invited into the conversations on learning.
But what if we dreamed bigger? What if we allowed ourselves to see ancillary staff as more than just ancillary?
Take the gardener. Many schools have someone whose quiet labour shapes the grounds into a welcoming space. That gardener does not only cut grass or prune hedges. Over time, they build up a wealth of knowledge about plants, soil, and weather. They know what thrives in dry conditions, what can survive the salt spray of coastal air, what blooms when the rain comes, and how to nurture a sick tree back to health. These are skills that connect directly to science, sustainability, and even cultural heritage.
Now imagine if this knowledge did not remain hidden. Instead of simply teaching students about plants, what if they worked with the gardener to build a greenhouse? The project could connect biology with climate awareness and give students the pride of nurturing something that grows. That one activity could cut across science, design, and even entrepreneurship if the plants are sold at a school fair.
The same thinking applies to the canteen staff. In many schools, food is provided through the canteen or the School Meals Service. These workers prepare hundreds of meals a week, yet their skills in managing resources, food safety, and nutrition are rarely integrated into lessons. Why not bring them into the Food and Nutrition classes so students see the link between theory and practice? Why not go further and create opportunities for students to cook alongside them, to prepare a dish that will actually be served as part of the school meal programme? That sort of integration makes learning more experiential while still delivering the required content. It also builds respect for the labour that goes into something as simple as a plate of food.
Cleaners too, though often overlooked, have valuable knowledge that can be translated into practical learning. A project on hygiene, for instance, could be co-led by cleaners who know better than anyone which areas in a school attract the most germs. Students could carry out a cleanliness audit with the cleaners by swabbing surfaces and then testing for bacteria. The experience would not only bring science to life but also give students a deeper respect for the work that keeps them healthy and safe.
Security staff could contribute in similar ways. They could run awareness walks around the school to teach students about safety, observation, and responsibility for shared spaces. These practical activities show that the whole school is a learning ground and that knowledge is not tied only to titles.
The benefits of this approach are many. First, it empowers ancillary workers. Too often they are treated as background figures who quietly keep things moving. When schools open space for them to share their skills through hands-on activities, it signals respect. It says: you matter, what you know matters, and you are part of this community of learning. That recognition can lift self-worth and build a stronger sense of belonging.
Second, it benefits students. Young people need to see that knowledge comes in different forms, not only through those who hold formal teaching posts. By learning alongside ancillary staff, students begin to value the people around them and understand that learning is something practical, alive, and rooted in community.
Third, it strengthens the culture of the school. When ancillary staff are seen, heard, and respected, it builds mutual care. Students begin to treat the grounds, the canteen, and the classrooms differently because they understand the work that goes into them. They see the people behind the tasks and that shapes how they carry themselves in the space.
Of course, not every ancillary staff member will want to step into this role, and that must be respected. Some may prefer to simply do their job and go home. But for those who are willing and eager, the opportunity should be there. Transformation cannot be one-size-fits-all. It must be flexible enough to welcome different forms of contribution.
The truth is that schools already lean on the generosity of ancillary staff in quiet ways. How many times has a gardener helped fix something that was broken, or a cleaner given advice to a student, or a canteen worker offered more than a meal by listening to a child who was having a hard day? These are moments of teaching and care, though they are rarely recognised as such.
So why not formalise the invitation? Why not carve out spaces for collaborative projects, from gardening plots to hygiene audits to cooking sessions, where ancillary staff can guide students if they choose? Why not move from seeing them as background workers to seeing them as part of the circle of learning?
There will be those who say this is just a dream, that it is impractical. But is it truly impractical, or is the structure simply not designed to make it possible? And if the structure is the problem, then why can it not be changed?
Too often we put up roadblocks before we even try. Yet if transformation is to mean anything, it must include the courage to ask different questions. Why can it not be done this way?
Because the gardener is more than a gardener. The canteen worker is more than a canteen worker. The cleaner is more than a cleaner. They are keepers of knowledge and experience, and in a transformed education system their voices would not be silent.
Dr Zhané Bridgeman-Maxwell is a science educator, researcher, writer, and disruptor of outdated education systems in Barbados.
Focused on redesigning learning through policy shifts, change management, and pedagogical innovation, she amplifies the voices of students, teachers, and parents while reimagining what school can and should be.
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