Announcement: End of Year Evaluation – Garifuna Language in Schools Program

Friday, June 13, 2025, marked the accomplishment of another major milestone in our Garifuna Language in Schools Program for the 2024-2025 school year. We brought together over 100 teachers to perform the end-of-year program evaluation.

Teachers came from all schools in our program, namely, St. Joseph R.C. School in Barranco Village; St. Peter Claver School in Peini Punta Gorda, Richard Quinn Primary School in Georgetown Village; St. Alphonsus Primary School in Seine Bight Village, Holy Family School in Hopkins Village, and Gulisi Community Primary School, Sacred Heart Primary School and Holy Ghost School in Dangriga.

The annual evaluation is designed to review the accomplishments of the school year and identify what worked well and where improvements need to be made. It is also a forum used to plan the calendar, programs, and activities of the ensuing school year.

The Garifuna Language in Schools Program was officially rolled out in September 2024 after approval was received from the Ministry of Education in March 2024. The program is structured in one. The teaching and learning outcomes are informed and guided by a Garifuna Language Curriculum specifically designed for the program. It is led by the Garifuna Language Commission, whose co-chairs are Dr. Alberita Enriquez and Dr. Gwen Nunez Gonzalez. The teachers are prepared for effective delivery of the program using a customized professional development plan.

This year, the structure of the program has been enhanced by reaching two additional milestones; namely, the appointment of eight coaches to support the program and, secondly, the appointment of a Monitoring, Evaluation Learning Team to lead program evaluation efforts and provide oversight over effective delivery of the program.

The Garifuna Language in Schools Program is a joint initiative of the National Garifuna Council and the Battle of the Drums Secretariat. Via the program, the Garifuna Language is being taught every day in the target schools. The annual End-of-Year Evaluation was hosted at the Ecumenical Junior College auditorium in Dangriga.

For further inquiries or interviews, please contact: Ms. Sheena Zuniga, President – National Garifuna Council at 613-9802 or Mr. Darius Avila, President – Battle of the Drums at 615-0140.