Barbados Approves National Qualifications Framework, Redefining Educational Standards

The Cabinet of Barbados has given its approval to the National Qualifications Framework for Barbados, a major step towards redefining the nation’s educational standards.

This announcement was made by Mrs. Lisa Gale, Executive Director of the Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC), during the BAC’s 20th Anniversary Panel Discussion held at the Grande Salle of the Central Bank of Barbados.

The event, themed “Towards A National Qualifications Framework – Re-imagining Higher Education in the Barbados Economy,” featured Mrs. Gale’s opening remarks.

She shared that Minister of Education, Hon. Kay McConney, had delivered the news of the Cabinet’s decision earlier that day, describing the approval as a significant milestone.

Under the new framework, the Barbados Accreditation and Qualifications Authority (BAQA) will replace the BAC and will oversee both the framework and the National Qualifications Register.

Reflecting on the journey to this approval, Mrs. Gale acknowledged the collaborative efforts of stakeholders over the past two years in revisiting and revising the framework.

“We came together and we spoke about what the current educational needs are, what the national qualifications framework would look like, what it can do, what are the deficiencies in the existing draft one…how we can improve it etcetera, and we made a few tweaks,” she stated.

These “tweaks,” she noted, included the integration of notional hours into the framework, a consideration brought to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the new framework will streamline the structure by combining three sectors into two: academic and technical and vocational sectors.

Mrs. Gale also highlighted a renewed focus on lifelong learning within the framework.

“We acknowledged the number of persons who were without certification in Barbados and we recognised that lifelong learning had a little bit more meaning—not that it wasn’t contemplated before—but we thought that the one access level was insufficient. The BQCF is an 8-level framework with two access levels,” she explained.

She emphasized that the Cabinet’s approval of the BQCF, BQR, and the establishment of the BAQA is just the first stage. Moving forward, there will be an extensive public education and sensitisation process to ensure a smooth transition to the new framework. (PR)