PHILIPSBURG:--- The National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, is supporting the implementation of the Group 3 Learning Assessment scheduled for June. The assessment, which will involve 24 student groups from all public and subsidized primary schools, will measure students’ reading and mathematics levels. It is part of the Trust Fund’s Fostering Resilient Learning Project (FRLP), which supports both school reconstruction and broader improvements in Sint Maarten’s education system.
This is the second round of learning assessments under the FRLP. The first, conducted between 2023 and 2024, focused on Early Grade Reading and Mathematics (EGRA/EGMA) and revealed performance gaps that led to improvements in teaching support, curriculum planning, and school-based interventions. The 2025 assessment builds on that foundation by offering updated data to guide educational decisions and contribute to more robust learning environments.
The new assessment cycle also contributes to the launch of the Ministry Management Information System (MMIS); a digital platform designed to collect, organize, and analyze education data. Assessment results will be uploaded to MMIS, enabling the Ministry to track student progress, identify learning gaps, and support long-term planning with reliable evidence. Strengthening education information systems is a central feature of the FRLP’s approach to resilience, it ensures that learning can continue, and systems can recover quickly in the event of any disaster or disruption.
To prepare for this year’s assessments, 20 assessors, most of whom are retired local educators, received training in April. The training was led by an international expert and focused on administering the assessments and using a dedicated online platform to upload and manage data. During the training week, MECYS also reviewed and updated the 2023 assessment formats and uploaded new versions for 2025. Group 5 assessments were also finalized for use later in the year.
With schools already informed of upcoming introductory visits by assessors, preparations remain on schedule for testing in the first half of June. In the weeks ahead, MECYS and schools will hold information sessions to help parents and guardians understand the purpose of the assessment and how they can support their children.
The Honorable Melissa Gumbs, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, expressed her support for the upcoming assessment.
"The Group 3 Learning Assessment will help us make better evidence-based decisions. To make sure all children in Sint Maarten have a fair chance to do well in school, we’re investing in tools that show where students are and what kind of support they need. We’re optimistic that these tools will help us improve our education strategies."
MECYS continues to build the knowledge and capacity of their personnel to manage future learning assessments and the recommendations that will come from the derived data.
The FRLP is implemented by 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.
