MECYS Year One: A Reflection on Foundations, Lessons, and the Road Ahead

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY - By Minister Melissa D. Gumbs) - When I accepted the responsibility to serve as Minister of ECYS, I knew the road ahead would be layered, equal parts inspiration, inherited realities, and the slow, steady work of rebuilding trust in public institutions.

What I did not fully anticipate was how much of Government, not just MECYS, had been operating on autopilot for far longer than our small island can afford. A year later, that is perhaps one of the most important lessons I carry with me: nothing improves simply by being left alone.

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. And above all, it is for the children and young people who will inherit what we either build or neglect.

The lessons from this year have been both sobering and instructive. Knowledge loss remains one of our greatest threats, with far too many processes depending on individual memory instead of institutional systems. When people move on, entire histories of practice vanish with them. I have also learned that capacity is not simply about adding more people; it is about ensuring the people we have, dedicated public servants across every department and division, are supported with the training, clarity, and tools they need to succeed.

We have also been forced to confront the reality that our bureaucracy, in its current form, is too inflated for a country of our scale. The machinery of government should reflect agility, clarity of purpose, and the needs of our communities; instead, it often slows down those who are genuinely trying to solve problems.

One of the greatest inherited challenges within my portfolio was the structure and functioning of the Division of Public Education. 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 needed to sustain long-term improvement. The issue has never been the dedication of staff, the issue is that they have been working within a framework that has not served them, or our 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. We have already begun laying the groundwork for that transformation, strengthening supervisory expectations, rebuilding governance mechanisms, and preparing for a more modern, effective structure that genuinely supports teaching and learning. It is demanding work, but it is overdue.

Amidst the challenges, there were also milestones that carried deep meaning. Of all the work we accomplished this year, completing the FBE Review and receiving the findings and recommendations from the researchers, was especially significant. For years before taking office, I advocated for this review from the benches of parliament, convinced that the education system could not meaningfully evolve without an honest evaluation of its 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. Public and parent sessions are being planned next, and these conversations will be critical. The review is not the end of the journey, it is the compass. With its recommendations in hand, we now have the opportunity to realign our education system with the real needs of Sint Maarten’s children.

Improving literacy and numeracy will continue to be a top priority for Year Two and beyond. The FBE Review confirmed what many of our teachers have been experiencing on the ground, that too many of our students are not meeting foundational benchmarks in reading, writing, and mathematics. Literacy is freedom, numeracy is empowerment, and the work ahead requires a coordinated approach from curriculum to teacher development, from early childhood to the upper grades. It will be one of the anchors of everything MECYS does moving forward.

Our work this year was not without moments of unexpected creativity and joy. One of those moments was seeing my Cabinet team, knowing my love of gaming, translate our first-year journey into a Super Mario–style “Year One Achievements” experience that captured the spirit of these months in a way that was as playful as it was accurate. The “Fix-It Pathways,” where we addressed inherited issues rather than problems of our own making; the “Power-Ups” that represented quiet breakthroughs; the “Boss Levels” that tested our patience and our resolve; and the “Hidden Coins,” all the small but meaningful administrative and systemic improvements that rarely make headlines but ultimately strengthen a Ministry, these elements reminded me that governance, much like the game, requires timing, courage, and strategy. It requires knowing when to jump, when to pause, and when to chart an entirely new path.

When I am asked whether I feel I have begun laying the legacy I hope to leave behind, the answer is yes, but cautiously and realistically. A legacy cannot be claimed, it must be built through decisions that withstand time, political cycles, and public scrutiny. I hope to leave behind sustainable financing mechanisms for culture, heritage, and the creative industry, areas neglected for far too long.

I hope to significantly strengthen MECYS’s internal efficiency, both administratively and financially. I hope to embed a safety net in education so that no child, including those with diverse learning needs, falls through the cracks. Next year I hope to see the formal establishment of the Youth Cabinet, a leadership incubator that provides our young people with real proximity to policy, governance, and national decision-making. It reflects my belief that youth are not just beneficiaries of our agenda, they are partners in the future we are shaping.

Looking ahead, I am most energised by the prospect of moving from foundation-building to visible execution. The year ahead will demand sharper efficiency reforms, especially as we strengthen workflows, eliminate duplications, digitise processes, and cultivate a culture of responsiveness. It will also include work on closing legislative loopholes that allow discrimination in education to persist, ensuring that every child has equitable access to quality learning environments and appropriate support services, and yes, it includes ramping up our work to secure sustainable financing for the cultural and creative sectors, and to advance the development of a culture and heritage park, an investment not only in economic value but in national identity.

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. A Ministry that puts children first is a Ministry worth fighting for, and this year has taught me that durable progress is rarely loud. It is the quiet recalibration of systems, the inconvenient but necessary conversation, the decision to prioritise long-term outcomes over short-term “band-aids”. The road ahead remains steep. The task is complex. But our children deserve a Ministry that chooses the harder, better path every time.

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.

This reflection would not be complete until I express my deepest gratitude to the people who made this first year not only possible, but purposeful. The dedicated staff of MECYS, across every department, division, and public school, have shown resilience, honesty, and a willingness to adapt in a year that demanded more than routine. Their commitment to serving our children and communities, often under difficult circumstances, grounds me and strengthens my resolve.

I am also grateful to the Ministry’s management team, who have navigated complexity with professionalism and sincerity, even when the answers were not yet clear, and the path forward required shared courage. Their partnership has been essential as we worked to steady longstanding challenges and chart a new direction.

Finally, to my Cabinet team, my front line, my sounding board, my quiet engine room, thank you. Your dedication, your creativity, your long nights, and your ability to turn impossible schedules into tangible outcomes have been extraordinary. You have carried the weight of this year with grace, discipline, and a spirit of service that I will never take for granted. 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.

By the Hon. Melissa D. Gumbs, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport