President of the Inter-American Division, Pastor Abner De Los Santos; Dr. Kern Tobias, President; Pastor Johnson Frederick, Executive Secretary; Pastor Bertie Henry, Treasurer; fellow directors and staff of the Caribbean Union Conference; administrators of the local fields; delegates; other stakeholders and friends; God’s peace and grace be with you.
It gives me much pleasure to present the Education department’s report for 2021-2025.
Executive Summary
The Caribbean Union Conference (CARU) Education Department continues to advance its strategic priority of fostering academic excellence within a spiritually charged environment. This mission is pursued through four foundational goals: achieving educational excellence, increasing institutional revenue, cultivating a culture of service, and reinforcing a distinct Seventh-day Adventist identity.
The report begins with an analysis of the enrolment trends which fluctuate in a landscape that has only recently begun to stabilize. Total enrolment peaked at 9,712 students in the 2022-2023 academic year before reaching a four-year low of 9,573 in 2024-2025. However, the 2025-2026 academic year signaled a reversal with a rebound to 9,625 students. Crucially, the data reveals a significant demographic shift toward a majority of non-SDA students, particularly at the primary level, where SDA enrolment declined by 17.4% while the non-SDA population grew to represent 58.7% of students.
The staffing data indicates that staffing trends during this period highlight this strategic rebalancing. The primary level saw a 7% contraction in teaching faculty while secondary schools expanded its support staff by nearly 17%. Overall, the total workforce has remained largely stable, moving slightly from 934 employees in 2022 to 930 in 2026. This stability in personnel has been the bedrock upon which the Union has maintained its academic reputation, particularly at the secondary level.
The report indicates how the department worked to achieve four strategic goals during the reporting period. To provide a clear roadmap of these efforts, the report is structured to offer a comprehensive overview of progress toward these four key goals through strategic interventions. The document further identifies critical challenges which the department is currently facing, and issues a challenge to the constituency to address these obstacles through unified action and faith. The report ends with expressions of gratitude to those who have supported the department in the pursuit of its goals.
