Christmas in Barbados has always been more than gifts, lights, ham, sorrel, great cake, and jug jug. It is a season of gathering, reflection, and recommitment — a moment when we pause long enough to remember who we are as a people and what we owe to the next generation.
Across this island, from the breezy hills of St Thomas to the dramatic beauty of the East Coast, families are preparing for the familiar rituals of the season. Yet beneath the sparkle and celebration lies a deeper truth. The greatest gift we can give our children is not wrapped in paper, but woven into the values we model, the guidance we offer, and the opportunities we protect.
This year, as we look toward a new chapter for our nation, Christmas invites us to see our children clearly — not just their grades or behaviour, but their fears, their talents, their questions, and their dreams. Some children enter the season with joy and security. Others face challenges that are less visible: homes strained by poverty, families navigating instability in the home and community, learning difficulties that make school feel overwhelming, or emotional burdens they cannot yet name. Christmas calls us to widen our circle of care and to remember that Barbados is strongest when we look out for one another.
The shared responsibility of raising a nation
Raising a child is not a private task, it is a community and national project. Christmas should remind us that every adult has a role to play.
Parents carry the sacred duty of nurturing respect, discipline, curiosity, and emotional resilience.
Teachers carry the responsibility of inspiring, guiding, and adapting to each child’s needs.
Students must honour the sacrifices behind their education by giving their best effort.
Government must ensure that every family — especially those facing hardship — has the support, communication, and resources needed to help our children succeed.
When these four pillars stand together, no child gets left behind and is much more likely to thrive.
The gift of education: Our island’s brightest light
Education remains one of the most powerful gifts Barbados has ever given its people. But its value is realised only when it is truly understood, appreciated, and used well. Traditionally, our national love affair with education is the foundational pillar and greatest asset of our national development — our people.
Individual value of education
Personal empowerment: Education equips children with knowledge, critical thinking, and decision‑making skills.
Financial security: Higher levels of education often lead to better‑paying jobs and greater stability.
Self‑reliance: Education enables independence and the ability to make informed choices.
Dream fulfillment: It provides the tools to pursue ambitions and achieve goals.
Family and community value
Breaking cycles of poverty: Education helps families escape disadvantages across generations.
Health and wellbeing: Educated communities are better informed about nutrition, healthcare, and child welfare.
Civic participation: Education strengthens democratic engagement and accountability.
Education is not simply a line item in a budget. It is the engine of our independence, the foundation of our democracy, and the bridge between a child’s present and their future.
Parents as models: The gift of fearless, respectful confidence
Children learn far more from what we model than from what we say. This Christmas, parents can give their children a gift more valuable than any toy: the gift of fearless, respectful confidence.
This gift is expressed in two powerful ways:
1. Living a life guided by ethical and moral standards — even under pressure
Barbados, like every society, has its share of negative peer pressure, shortcuts, and temptations. Children watch how adults respond. When parents choose honesty over convenience, kindness over anger, and integrity over popularity, children learn that courage is not loud: it is consistent.
A child who sees their parent stand firm in their values learns that:
Doing the right thing is not weakness
Morality is not old‑fashioned
Character is a lifelong compass
This is the foundation of true confidence.
2. Speaking up for their best interests — even when tradition encourages silence
Barbadian culture is warm, respectful, and deeply communal. But it also carries traditions of “hush” “don’t answer back”. These norms, while rooted in respect, can unintentionally teach children to silence themselves — even when they are hurting, confused, or treated unfairly.
Parents can model a different path by:
Advocating respectfully for their children at school
Encouraging children to express their feelings
Teaching them that respectful speech is not disrespect
Showing them how to disagree without being rude
Demonstrating that their voice matters
A child who learns to speak up becomes an adult who can navigate conflict, negotiate opportunities, and protect their own wellbeing, and that of their own children. A wonderful cycle of care.
This is the gift of courage.
Government and teachers: Partners in the Christmas promise
Government carries critical responsibility. Beyond funding, it must provide:
Building a culture of adherence to modern global best practice principles of excellence in public education.
Remuneration and conditions of service which attract and retain the best teaching professionals (see Scandinavia and Singaporean education models).
Targeted communication to help families understand the cost and value of education.
Support systems for children facing socio‑economic or emotional challenges.
Inclusive policies that ensure no child is left behind.
Accountability mechanisms — within schools and within the Ministry that build trust.
Teachers are the frontline interpreters of national values. Their role is not only to teach but to inspire, to adapt, and to ensure that disadvantaged students are not excluded from the promise of education. Their influence is profound, and the best teachers’ dedication extends far beyond the classroom.
When government, teachers, parents, and students work together, education becomes a shared act of nation‑building.
A Christmas call to community
This Christmas, let us recommit to the values that built Barbados within our core traditions of pride and industry: kindness, responsibility, fairness, and community. Let us check in on the vulnerable neighbour, let us encourage our children, let us thank those teachers who give more than their job description requires and let us support the parents who are doing their best with limited resources.
And let us remind every child — from the smallest infant to the teenager preparing for CSEC or CVQ — that they are loved, valued, and capable of greatness.
A blessing for the season
May this Christmas bring peace to every household, strength to every parent, rest to every teacher, courage to every student, and unity to our beloved nation.
May we enter the new year with a renewed commitment to each other and to the children who will shape the Barbados we dream of.
And may we remember that the true spirit of Christmas is not in what we receive, but in what we give — especially to our priceless jewels, our children.
Paula-Anne Moore is the spokesperson and coordinator Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress Group of Concerned Parents of Barbados.
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