Minister Melissa Gumbs marks first year, focuses on reform, putting children first

GREAT BAY--The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs has released a reflection on her first year, highlighting foundational reforms, hard-learned lessons, and key priorities for the years ahead.

In her reflection, Minister Gumbs notes that taking office revealed just how many areas of government, including MECYS, had been operating on “autopilot” for far too long, with weak systems, fragile institutional memory and an overgrown bureaucracy that often slowed, rather than supported, real problem solving.

“This past year has been a reminder that leadership is not about spotlight moments; most days, it is about rolling up your sleeves, sitting with the uncomfortable truths, and choosing to move, deliberately, transparently, and with conviction,” the Minister writes. “And above all, it is for the children and young people who will inherit what we either build or neglect.”

Confronting knowledge loss and capacity gaps

One of the central lessons from the first year has been the extent of “knowledge loss” inside the system, where too many critical processes depend on individual memory instead of institutional structures, records and workflows. When staff leave or change positions, entire histories of practice risk disappearing with them.

Minister Gumbs emphasizes that building capacity is not just about hiring additional people, but about ensuring that existing public servants across departments and divisions are supported with training, clarity and tools to do their work well.

The reflection also points to a bureaucracy that is “too inflated for a country of our scale,” with procedures and structures that complicate timely action. The Minister underlines that the machinery of government must reflect agility, clear purpose and the needs of communities, rather than becoming an obstacle to those trying to implement solutions.

Transforming the Division of Public Education

Within MECYS, one of the most complex inherited challenges has been the structure and functioning of the Division of Public Education (DPE). Over the years, DPE has not operated with the coherence and governance structure of a true school board.

The result has been a system where accountability is diffuse, institutional memory is fragile and processes lack the structure required to sustain long-term improvement. The reflection stresses that the issue is not a lack of dedication from staff, but that they have been working in a framework that has not served them or the public schools well.

“This first year forced us to acknowledge that incremental adjustments will not be enough, and that the Transformation of DPE must be accelerated,” the Minister notes. Preparatory work is already underway to strengthen supervisory expectations, rebuild governance mechanisms and move toward a more modern, effective structure that supports teaching and learning.

FBE Review as a compass for reform

A major milestone for MECYS has been the completion of the Foundation Based Education (FBE) Review and the presentation of its findings and recommendations. For years before becoming Minister, Gumbs advocated for this review from Parliament, convinced that meaningful education reform would not be possible without an honest evaluation of the system’s foundation.

“To finally commission the research, receive the outcomes, and begin presenting those findings to school boards, teachers, and key education stakeholders was both grounding and energising,” she states. Public and parent sessions will follow, and the Ministry views the review as a compass rather than a conclusion.

Improving literacy and numeracy is identified as a top priority for Year Two and beyond. The FBE Review confirmed what many teachers have been experiencing: too many students are not meeting foundational benchmarks in reading, writing and mathematics. “Literacy is freedom, numeracy is empowerment,” the Minister writes, stressing that progress will require a coordinated approach from curriculum design to teacher development, and from early childhood education to upper grades.

From “damage control” to implementation

The reflection describes Year One as largely focused on foundations: diagnosing problems, stabilizing inherited issues and strengthening internal systems. To capture this journey, the Minister’s Cabinet team even translated the year into a Super Mario-style “Year One Achievements” concept, with “Fix-It Pathways” for inherited issues, “Power-Ups” for quiet breakthroughs, “Boss Levels” that tested patience and resolve, and “Hidden Coins” representing small but meaningful administrative improvements that rarely make headlines but ultimately strengthen the Ministry.

As MECYS enters Year Two, the emphasis will shift from diagnosis to visible execution. “As we move into Year Two, the files on my desk are increasingly shifting from ‘damage control’ and ‘diagnose’ to ‘implement.’ The foundations have been laid, now we begin the building,” the Minister writes.

Key areas of focus for the coming period include:

• Sharper efficiency reforms, including better workflows, reduced duplication and more digitized processes
• Closing legislative loopholes that allow discrimination in education to persist, ensuring equitable access to quality learning and support services
• Advancing sustainable financing for the cultural and creative sectors
• Continued work on the development of a culture and heritage park as both an economic and nation-building investment

Legacy, youth partnership and putting children first

Looking ahead, Minister Gumbs frames her goals in terms of legacy, but with a clear sense of realism about the time and consistency required. “A legacy cannot be claimed, it must be built through decisions that withstand time, political cycles, and public scrutiny,” she writes.

Among the legacy goals she highlights are:

• Sustainable financing mechanisms for culture, heritage and the creative industries
• Stronger administrative and financial efficiency within MECYS
• A reinforced safety net in education so that no child, including those with diverse learning needs, falls through the cracks
• The formal establishment of a Youth Cabinet as a leadership incubator that gives young people real proximity to policy, governance and national decision making

The Youth Cabinet concept reflects the Minister’s belief that young people are not just beneficiaries of policy, but partners in shaping the future of St. Maarten.

“A Ministry that puts children first is a Ministry worth fighting for,” she writes. The reflection notes that durable progress is “rarely loud” and is often found in the quiet recalibration of systems, difficult but necessary conversations and the decision to prioritize long-term outcomes over quick fixes.

Gratitude and shared responsibility

Minister Gumbs closes her reflection by expressing deep appreciation to the staff of MECYS across every department, division and public school, recognizing their resilience and willingness to adapt during a demanding year. She also extends thanks to the Ministry’s management team for navigating complexity with professionalism, and to her Cabinet team for their dedication, creativity and discipline.

“Every success of this first year has your fingerprints on it. I am proud of you, grateful for you, and energised by what we will build together in the year ahead,” she notes.

Despite acknowledging that “the road ahead remains steep” and “the task is complex,” the Minister ends on a hopeful note. “I am hopeful for the year ahead, not because the journey is easy, but because it is necessary, and because every foundation we lay today is an investment in the Sint Maarten our young people will one day lead. We owe them nothing less.”

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