BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says it has approved US$24.1 million to strengthen St Lucia’s education system.

The St Lucia Education Quality Improvement Project (EQuIP) will support the enhancement of mechanisms and capacity for improved planning, leadership and delivery of education services; the rehabilitation, renovation and/or expansion of physical infrastructure at various education levels; and institutional strengthening and capacity building.

CDB Director of Projects, Daniel Best, said ‘we are committed to working with the government of St Lucia to invest in improving access to quality education for all.

“This project responds to the island’s most pressing needs in the education sector, and builds on our four decades of successful partnership with the government and people of St Lucia,” he added.

EQuIP aligns with the government’s Education Sector Development Plan (2015-2020), and will: improve the teaching and learning environment across the country through the expansion and rehabilitation of five schools; enhance quality, relevance and instructional effectiveness by providing training for 25 teacher educators and 375 teachers in specific areas of need.

It is also intended to improve leadership and operational effectiveness by providing training for workers across the education system, including 120 principals and education officers; conduct a climate vulnerability assessment of project schools and develop prototype guidelines for use in climate vulnerability assessment of schools nationally.

The loan financing for EQuIP is complemented by a grant of US$740,000, which also includes an allocation from resources provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to CDB under the EIB Grant Facility for Climate Action Support.

The St Lucia Government will contribute US$4.9 million to the project.