World Bank Highlights Sint Maarten’s Early Learning Breakthrough in Global Education Feature

GREAT BAY--The World Bank has published an article recognizing Sint Maarten’s progress in education reform, focusing on how the country has started measuring and improving early learning outcomes through national assessments in reading and mathematics. The feature, titled “Unlocking Potential: How Early Learning Assessments Are Changing Education in Sint Maarten,” presents the island’s approach as an example of how small nations can use local data to shape fair and effective education systems.

The article explains how Sint Maarten, through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports (ECYS) and with World Bank support, introduced the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA). The goal was to answer a basic question that had never been asked at a national level: how well are young children actually learning?

For years, teachers and policymakers lacked reliable information on student performance in the early grades. There were classroom tests, but no consistent national picture that could show where students were excelling or struggling. The introduction of the assessments filled that gap, offering insight into children’s literacy and numeracy levels and the broader learning conditions in schools.

The World Bank noted that this initiative came at a challenging time. Many of the students assessed began school in August 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their first learning experiences were shaped by lockdowns, online classes, and interruptions in teaching. With the new assessments, Sint Maarten could finally see what impact those disruptions had, and which interventions were most effective in helping students recover.

The results were both encouraging and revealing. Children were generally able to recognize and pronounce words correctly, showing that early literacy instruction was working. However, many had trouble understanding what they read. In mathematics, most students could handle basic addition and subtraction, performing about six additions and four subtractions per minute, a rate that aligns with averages in comparable countries. Yet, as in reading, comprehension and problem-solving were weaker.

A key finding was that 88 percent of the variation in student performance came from differences between schools, not individual students. This suggested that what happens inside classrooms, including the quality of teaching and school leadership, has a greater impact than socioeconomic background or home language. Some schools performed significantly better because teachers used technology like tablets and online resources to reinforce lessons. The article also pointed out that children whose parents read to them or helped with homework consistently scored higher.

The World Bank emphasized that Sint Maarten’s multilingual environment adds complexity to its education system. Many students speak English, Dutch, Spanish, French, or Creole at home, yet instruction is mainly in English or Dutch. In schools where English is the language of instruction, 77 percent of students speak it at home. In Dutch-instruction schools, only 16 percent do. This gap between home and school languages creates daily challenges. Educators and policymakers are now using the data to rethink how language and learning are connected. One education official noted that children learn better when taught in the language they use at home, and that this insight should guide future language and education policy.

The World Bank report highlighted that the value of the assessments goes beyond the numbers. The data are being used to design individual report cards and personalized learning plans, giving teachers concrete tools to support each student. The Ministry of Education plans to continue these assessments annually, ensuring that progress is tracked and that teaching methods evolve based on evidence rather than assumption.

In June 2025, Sint Maarten carried out a second national learning assessment building on the experience of the first one. The results are being analyzed and will inform new approaches to teacher training, curriculum design, and student support programs.

The article notes that Sint Maarten’s experience has significance beyond its borders. Since 2013, the World Bank has supported dozens of education projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, but Sint Maarten’s early learning model stands out because it shows how small island states can adapt global tools to local realities. By matching assessments to the languages and cultures of students, and using the results to guide rather than rank, Sint Maarten has created a system that promotes equity and understanding.

The initiative also reflects a broader change in how the government approaches education reform. Instead of relying on external testing or one-time surveys, the focus is shifting toward continuous improvement based on local data. Schools are encouraged to see assessments not as judgments, but as instruments for reflection, planning, and targeted help.

The World Bank concluded that Sint Maarten’s story is less about testing and more about trust — the trust that data can help teachers and students, that communities can work together to close gaps, and that even small nations can lead regional change.

As Sint Maarten awaits the results of its 2025 assessment, the government continues to emphasize that every child, regardless of background or language, deserves a fair chance to learn and succeed. The partnership between the Ministry of Education and the World Bank has helped lay the foundation for that goal by providing tools that make learning visible and measurable.

The World Bank described Sint Maarten’s education initiative as a model for inclusive reform — a case where collaboration, data, and community engagement come together to create lasting change in the classroom.

‍