The Honourable Jerome Fitzgerald
Minister of Education, Science and Technology

As Minister of Education, Science and Technology, It gives me great pleasure to announce to the Bahamian public that the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas has accepted the invitation to host the 19^th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM).  This historic event will take place at the Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island from 22^nd to 26^th June, 2015. 

This triennial meeting of Commonwealth Education Ministers, which is only second in importance and scope to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), provides a forum for heads of education systems from the 53* member states to engage in meaningful dialogue on education.  Additionally, in recent times, facilities have been made available for teachers, youth and other education stakeholders to participate at this meeting. 

At the 18CCEM, held in Mauritius in 2012, Education Ministers recognised the severity of challenges faced by the Commonwealth with regard to the education and human development goals. They acknowledged that the most important driver of exclusion from education is poverty. The Ministers also accepted that the biggest factors affecting an individual’s educational achievement and income potential are the education levels and income of their parents. Of the 61 million primary school aged children currently out-of-school, 23 million reside in the Commonwealth.   As a result, the 18CCEM established a Ministerial Working Group (MWG) in order to establish a Commonwealth position on the Post-2015 Development Framework for Education.

The theme of the 19CCEM is “Quality Education for Equitable Development: Performance, Paths and Productivity” builds on the recommendations of the Commonwealth Ministerial Working Group (MWG).  It will provide opportunities for ministers, senior education officials and other stakeholders in education to deliberate on the priority of emerging issues identified by the MWG, as these continue to be reflected in the evolving global framework for development and the economic and social advancement and growth of member states and their citizens.  In addition, the Conference will facilitate the exchange of best practices in education and related fields, promote goodwill and foster mutual respect and cooperation between delegated and member states. 

The specific objectives for the five-day meeting are to:

• increase Commonwealth Ministers and Senior Officials’ understanding of critical issues in education;
• provide a forum for the discussion of these issues and the sharing of good practises within the Commonwealth;
• examine barriers to equity, access and quality education and identify key enabling factors to address these issues;
• gain the commitment of Ministers to specific actions identified at the Conference;
• discuss the process for aligning plans and strategies to support the achievement of the new goals and targets of the Post-2015 education development framework within the Commonwealth’s priorities, processes and platforms; and
• discuss and agree on the steps to take forward any new mandates and actions on global issues that resonate with and impact on priority education concerns of The Commonwealth.

In addition to the principal ministerial meeting, over the course of the five days, a number of other forums and meetings will be held, including the following:

• Senior Officials’ Meeting
• Teachers’ Forum
• Youth Forum
• Stakeholders’ Forum

We are particularly happy that the Commonwealth Secretariat has accepted our request to add two new features to this CCEM namely:

Regional Ministerial Caucus (22 June 2015) which, in addition to providing ministers with the opportunity to discuss issues of relevance to their region, will enable them to address the need to create a balance between politics and policy.

Small States Meeting (23 June 2015) inwhich Ministers of Education from the 31 Small States of The Commonwealth would be permitted to discuss critical and problematic issues affecting their countries. 

This is the first time that The Bahamas will host this meeting and only the third time it is being hosted by a country from the Caribbean region.  Similar to our hosting CHOGM in 1985, the hosting of the 19^th CCEM is an historic and important event for us in The Bahamas.  The Conference is being organized jointly by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of The Bahamas through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Spearheading the Ministry’s team is Mr. Marcellus Taylor, Deputy Director of Education for Planning and Development.  Mr. Taylor will be assisted by Assistant Director of Education, Althea Hamilton-Grant, and Senior Education Officer, Janice Knowles and an able team of persons, drawn from across the public service, the private sector and civil society, who will comprise the local organizing committee. The relevant agencies and their personnel have or will soon be invited to serve on the various sub-committees to ensure that we provide the best in hospitality and professionalism that The Bahamas has to offer. 

Although June 2015 may seem a long way off, when consideration is given to the size and importance of this meeting, fourteen months will fly by quickly.  Therefore, I call on all involved in the planning to demonstrate commitment and teamwork, giving focused attention to ensuring that the conference is a success.  I also call on corporate Bahamas and the wider Bahamian public to support our efforts in any and every way possible including becoming informed about the Conference and displaying our friendly and helpful attitudes towards our guest during their stay. 

We are truly delighted to host such a high-level meeting on education in The Bahamas for several reasons:

1. While we are proud of our country’s natural beauty and we are aware that many visit our shores to enjoy our sun, sand, sea, we see this as an opportunity to showcase Bahamians.  In addition to displaying our first class hospitality, hosting this Conference will give us the opportunity to showcase our achievements and the achievement of the Caribbean region in the area of education.  While we often highlight the flaws of our system of education, we have been able to produce many scholars who have achieved success at the international level. 
2. By hosting this meeting, we are able to influence significantly its agenda and we will ensure that the issues of importance to us and our sister states of the Caribbean are given primary attention.  We will definitely have a voice at this event and we intend on using it to our maximum benefit.
3. Another advantage to be gained by hosting this particular CCEM relates to the fact that the Internationally Agreed Goals (Education for All and Millennium Development Goals) which have driven the global development agenda for the past 15 years expire in 2015.  It is expected that the Commonwealth will issue a clear statement on the way forward in education for the next 15 years at this meeting.  The CCEM held in The Bahamas is expected to be a watershed in Education in The Commonwealth. 

The government has agreed to make available up to $2 million to underwrite the hosting of this meeting.  However, with more than 1000 foreign delegates expected to attend, hotel room sales are expected to exceed 4,000 room nights and with the spin-off effect, the country is expected to experience significant economic benefits. 

Thus, at the end of the day, when this Conference is successfully executed, the country and all of us within it benefit.  We are certain that the Conference will achieve our objectives and will garner the respect of the Commonwealth for Our education system, Our Hospitality and Our People.  I have no doubt that the best of The Bahamas will be presented, and that we will establish some lasting and beneficial bonds with many of the visiting stakeholders.  

THE COMMONWEALTH WILL COME TO KNOW THAT - WE ARE A PEOPLE WHO VALUE EDUCATION FOR ITS ABILITY TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF ALL BAHAMIANS AND THE 7 BILLION CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.

So I wish to thank you in advance for your support on the road to June 2015 and look forward to a successful and rewarding 19CCEM.

I now turn this meeting over to Mr. Taylor who will provide further details of the preparation on The Bahamas hosting of the 19CCEM.

* At the time of the Launch of the 19CCEM, Fiji had not rejoined the Commonwealth.