The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HUNDREDS of academically at-risk students have significantly improved their performance, with many moving from GPAs below 1.0 to achieving a 3.0, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said yesterday.

Mrs Hanna-Martin credited the gains to targeted interventions and also pointed to a decline in school violence over a three-year period.

Her comments came during debate yesterday on a suite of legislation aimed at modernising the country’s education system.

She said there has been a 7.3 percent increase in at-risk students now achieving at least a 2.0 GPA in 2025 compared to the previous year.

Additionally, 16.3 percent of students who were previously performing at around a 1.0 GPA have improved to a 3.0 GPA, representing 1,812 students.

Mrs Hanna-Martin said the figures represent an increase compared to 14.1 percent in 2024, and praised academic coaches for driving the improved success rate.

According to Mrs Hanna-Martin, nine of the country’s ten education districts recorded GPA gains last December compared to December 2024.

She said BJC results showed measurable gains in several subjects including art, literature, craft, social studies, family and consumer science.

“English language, chemistry, French, history, physics, religious studies and graphical communications had cumulative achievement rates of 80 to 89 percent,” she said.

“We know we have a lot of work to do in this. We saw challenges in mathematics, but we've conducted research and we're now implementing strategies for mathematics.”

Grade Level Assessment Test Examination results for grades three and six recorded gains in reading and listening comprehension, while Grade six students achieved their highest GPA in ten years, she said.

Last year’s graduation rate also increased to 59 percent, representing “the highest ever.”

On the issue of school violence, Mrs Hanna Martin said incidents have decreased by 46 percent, falling from 142 in the fall of 2022 — when schools resumed full operations post pandemic — to 77 in the fall of 2025.

“This decrease is significant, and that's nearly cut overall incidents in half,” she said.

She also reported notable decreases in school violence, including a 74 percent drop in fights, a 100 percent decline in stabbings, and a 41 percent reduction in unlawful carrying of arms.

Nationwide, violent incidents fell 30 percent in New Providence, 73 percent in Grand Bahama, and 81 percent in the Family Islands.

“We have more work to do but we’re making progress,” she added.

She also noted that the ministry has reached a landmark development phase in the creation of a policy on artificial intelligence in education.

Mrs Hanna Martin said the policy is currently in draft form and outlines clear, student-focused goals, emphasising both empowerment and responsibility.

“The policy envisions students not only as users of AI, but also as active contributors to innovation, participating in hands on projects, coding clubs and national competitions,” she added.

“Ultimately, the goal is to prepare every learner, regardless of island or income, to navigate and shape an AI augmented future with confidence, creativity and integrity.”