Theme: “Artificial Intelligence and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation”

“On this International Day of Education, it is useful to remind ourselves that, despite the intensification of AI, it remains true that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.  The Caribbean Community welcomes the potential of AI to transform many aspects of education and looks forward to a future in which AI complements the essential human elements of the teaching and learning process.”

Davion Leslie, Programme Manager, Human Resource Development (with responsibility for Education), CARICOM Secretariat.

On 24 January, the CARICOM Secretariat will join the world in a significant celebration: the International Day of Education. This year's theme underscores the crucial role of our educators in using new technologies to improve how we learn and evolve as a Community while maintaining a human-centred learning environment.

“On this International Day of Education, it is useful to remind ourselves that, despite the intensification of AI, it remains true that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers,” stated Davion Leslie, Programme Manager, Human Resource Development (with responsibility for Education) at the CARICOM Secretariat. 

His sentiments were echoed by Jennifer Britton, Deputy Programme Manager, Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) at the CARICOM Secretariat, who advocated for safeguarding the independence of educators and students in the rise of AI.

She underscored, “As we reflect on the theme for this year’s observance…and as educational environments become more automated and computerised, safeguarding students, educators, and society's independence becomes paramount.”

Click below to hear more of their perspectives.

Click here for more on how AI can be used for education.