SINT MAARTEN (COMMENTARY - By Lilia Burunciuc) - Last year, Sint Maarten conducted its first country-wide assessment of early-grade learning. One finding stood out. Many children could read words aloud with confidence yet struggled to fully understand what they were reading.
For many parents, the results were revealing because they helped pinpoint where their children were struggling, making it clearer how they could support learning at home. Many were able to step in - reading together more intentionally, slowing down, asking questions, and focusing on understanding rather than speed.
This seemingly simple intervention is setting Sint Maarten’s children on a different path altogether, one that places them in a much stronger position to succeed in the future.
As the world marked International Day of Education, early learning in Sint Maarten offers a point of reflection. This comes at a time of growing uncertainty - shaped by rapid technological change, artificial intelligence, pandemics, and repeated crises - when education remains one of the most reliable foundations people can build on.
I know this not only as a policymaker, but personally. Growing up in a small town in Moldova, with a mother who was a teacher, I could not have imagined the doors education would later open for me, or the life it would make possible. Throughout my career, I have met many others whose opportunities and achievements were shaped by their education.
For islands like Sint Maarten, highly exposed to natural hazards and external shocks, this truth is especially clear. Buildings may fall, but what people learn endures - carrying them, and their countries, forward.
Recognizing this truth, Sint Maarten has been working to rebuild and strengthen its education system. This work is carried forward through the Fostering Resilient Learning Project, supported by the Sint Maarten Reconstruction, Recovery and Resilience Trust Fund - a partnership between the Government of Sint Maarten, the Government of the Netherlands, and the World Bank. Efforts are focused on strengthening learning in practical ways: restoring safe and inclusive learning environments, re-establishing shared spaces for learning such as libraries, and improving how education data is used so teachers, parents, and decision-makers can better support every child.
Progress is taking shape in different ways. For the first time, early-grade learning outcomes are being measured at the national level, helping schools see more clearly where children are progressing and where additional support is needed. It also provides the Ministry of Education with key insights on how best to support schools, teachers and communities in their efforts to support learning.
At the same time, groundwork is being laid for longer-term improvements. At the Charles Leopold Bell School, nearly 120 students will receive tailored support to address behavioral challenges and strengthen inclusion through highly individualized assistance. The Sister Marie Laurence School will be reconstructed to provide a safer, more inclusive learning environment for 200 students, and preparations are underway to rebuild the national library in Philipsburg as a shared space for reading, learning, and connection - both targeted for completion by mid-2027.
As Sint Maarten looks ahead, sustaining progress in education will require staying the course long after individual projects are completed and long after the Trust Fund has closed. Early learning gains must be protected and built upon, so that identifying and supporting children’s needs becomes a permanent part of the system. Support for teachers and parents must continue to grow, ensuring that classrooms remain places where children feel understood, encouraged, and challenged. And learning systems themselves must be strengthened to endure - with safe schools, reliable data, and digital tools that allow education to continue even in times of disruption.
Progress may not always be fast; rebuilding well takes patience, care, and partnership. But when education is strengthened, its impact lasts. For children in Sint Maarten, that impact can shape a lifetime. As we mark the International Day of Education, that is the reminder worth holding onto.
By Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Director for the Caribbean
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