PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS), the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), and the World Bank recently met to review the progress of the Fostering Resilient Learning Project (FRLP). The mission covered updates across all four components of the project which include the construction of new school and library buildings, the development of an inclusive education training program, administration of national learning assessments, and the implementation of a new digital system to help strengthen planning and decision-making in the education sector.
One of the focus areas was the integration of the Educational Care Centre (ECC) Program, which will support students with significant behavioral challenges. The program will be implemented at the reconstructed Charles Leopold Bell (CLB) School and incorporated into MECYS' existing education policy. The talks also covered how the ECC program will align with school operations and support better access and outcomes for students with behavioral difficulties across Sint Maarten’s education system. Furthermore, the ECC program shall closely align with the inclusive education policy of MECYS.
Construction timelines for CLB School, the St Maarten Library and Sister Marie Laurence (SML) School were also reviewed. All three buildings are planned for completion in the first quarter of 2027, with the demolition of the existing structures slated for completion in the fourth quarter of this year.
The digital platform known as the Ministry Management Information System (MMIS) was another key focus. A team from Softengi LLCC, the company contracted by the NRPB to develop the system, conducted virtual and in-person meetings with ministry staff, school boards, and the government’s ICT department. These sessions will help the developer determine the Ministry’s data collection needs and how the system architecture should function to support decision-making across all MECYS departments. The MMIS is being designed to create a central repository of data for the departments of the Ministry of ECYS, making it easier to retrieve data for planning and monitoring of school performance, rolling out new initiatives, and providing better support to students and teachers.
The FRLP project team also visited the Marie Genevieve de Weever Primary School, along with representatives from the World Bank, the ministry, and the NRPB. The visit focused on how the school's existing School Information System (SIS) might interface with the MMIS in the future. These meetings also included discussions on the Education Care Center Program. The school’s ICT focal point and psychologist were on hand to provide important insights into the SIS and Education Care Center Program respectively.
Another point of discussion was the recent experience of administering a second national learning assessment. The results of this assessment will help the ministry make informed decisions to improve student performance, implement remedial action, and adjust teaching methods where needed.
The mission concluded with the World Bank noting improvements in the project’s progress over the past months. Despite experienced setbacks that resulted in the termination of a key tender process, the World Bank acknowledged the efforts made by the FRLP team to keep the project moving forward and on track to meet its targets before the scheduled conclusion in 2027.
The Honorable Minister of ECYS, Melissa Gumbs, while giving her support, emphasized the importance of visible results, especially the start of demolition and construction at the schools and library. She expressed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring readiness of all departments to integrate the MMIS once it is operational.
“The transformation of our schools must go beyond bricks and mortar. It must also reflect a shift toward more inclusive and supportive learning environments. Through the FRLP, we are not only rebuilding physical spaces but also strengthening the systems and services that ensure every child, regardless of their challenges, has the opportunity to succeed.”
FRLP is implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten. It is funded by the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, financed by the Government of the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank.
