Caribbean News
More than 130,000 Students Across the Caribbean to Benefit from Virtual Learning Platform
CWCF provides Flow Study Program FREE for ALL students until June 15 in response to COVID-19
#Caribbean – April 2, 2020 — Over 130,000 kindergarten, primary and secondary school students across the Caribbean will benefit from the Flow Study program FREE of charge from now through June 15. The Cable and Wireless Charitable Foundation (CWCF) in partnership with Flow and One on One Educational Services Limited joined forces to provide access to the comprehensive virtual education platform, which offers a wide array of educational content enabling students to continue their studies at home during the COVID-19 crisis. Students in Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos will benefit from this initiative.
The Flow Study program powered by One on One is available to all students across the Caribbean regardless of their network operator. Inge Smidts, CEO of C&W Communications, operator of the Flow brand, and Chairperson of the CWCF, said, “during these times of crisis we must join forces to ensure that our children, families and communities are supported.
Given that parents are now faced with the reality of homeschooling their kids, we wanted to find a way to support them despite which network they subscribe to.” Smidts added, “our primary concern is to ensure that students across the region continue to have access to the education they deserve and that there is minimal disruption to their learning.”
In Turks and Caicos alone, over 7,000 students will be impacted by this initiative.
“Our students, like those from across the region, will be able to access user-friendly material to support their learning during and possibly beyond the curfew period. This initiative is a clear indication of Flow TCI and the CWCF’s partnership with the Ministry’s in our goal to create an environment where each learner can be successful. I express gratitude to the management and staff of Flow TCI and to the CWCF for coming alongside us during these extraordinary times,” stated Minister of Education, Youth, Culture & Library Services, Hon. Karen Malcolm.
Hon. Malcolm added: “Children in public and private schools will benefit from access to the e-learning platform without having to concern themselves about a costly data package. Students who are sharing devices at home will not be at a disadvantage because they can log on the platform at any time and continue with their learning tasks. The platform also represents a potential goldmine of digital instructional resources for teachers.”
Students age 5 to 18 will have access to the curriculum used in their schools. Access is available via Flow Study e-Learning services through the Flow Study mobile apps (Android), https://flowstudy.co/registration and Flow EVO – Flow on Demand.
The ability to continue with classes is even more critical for students who are preparing for CSEC and CAPE. For instruction on how to sign up click here. Flow Study offers:
- Over 500 video lessons spanning the CSEC curriculum
- Access to digital courses for the K – 8 curriculum
- Question bank and solutions with over 40,000 exam style questions and solutions for 35 subjects
- 10 years of past paper solutions for over 17 subjects
- Digital encyclopaedia with over 9,500 digital animations and simulations for four subject areas
- Virtual science labs with more than 500 digital laboratory simulations for science subjects and skills gap testing for over 30 subjects.
CEO of One on One, Ricardo Allen, commented on the partnership with the CWCF and Flow stating, “Education is a right and not a privilege. This is an important and strategic partnership for One on One and we are happy that the CWCF has stepped up once again to provide the funds needed to ensure that our students can continue to have access to their education. This is a platform developed by some of the best Caribbean teachers for Caribbean nationals. Our platform has the capacity to facilitate all students to learn at their own pace, anytime, anywhere and from any device. It is in times like these that we are reminded of the importance of having choices for access to education and the value of e-learning.”
Montego Bay(JIS) – Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, says the city stands to benefit significantly from hosting the 49th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), slated for July 6 to 8 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.
The meeting will bring together regional leaders to engage in high-level policy discussions on a range of issues, including regional security, climate change and trade.
In an interview with JIS News, Mayor Vernon said Montego Bay’s selection as host city, solidifies its position as a leading Caribbean destination for events of this magnitude.
“It places [Montego Bay] not only as a strategic location, but a viable option across the Caribbean for events of this nature. We are indeed setting ourselves apart as that place to host high-level regional discussions,” he said.
Highlighting the city’s track record, Mayor Vernon noted that Montego Bay has hosted several CARICOM events in the past, including the
landmark 2003 meeting where the Rose Hall Declaration on Regional Governance and Integrated Development was adopted.
“[It] tells a story. It positions us as a key meeting place for important regional policy discussions,” the Mayor said. He added that the upcoming conference is expected to tackle critical matters such as transportation, telecommunications, digitalization of the tourism industry, regional security, climate financing, food and nutrition security, external trade negotiations, and Haiti.
“Montego Bay is positioned to facilitate these discussions within its space, and that is also key for Jamaica as we look to expand in these areas,” Councillor Vernon outlined.
The Mayor also underscored the importance of regional integration.
“We hope that these discussions will deepen the integration process, because we can indeed benefit from regionalism, especially in light of what is happening globally,” he stated.
Referencing his earlier proposal for a regional disaster response hub, Councillor Vernon said the discussions around climate change and public safety could further promote coordinated approaches among CARICOM member states.
He also expressed confidence in the city’s readiness to host the event.
“We are putting all the necessary things in place to ensure that we not only have a safe event, but a great experience for our visitors,” he assured.
Mayor Vernon also took the opportunity to congratulate Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who will assume chairmanship of CARICOM on July 1.
The CARICOM conference will be held under the theme ‘People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Sustainable Future’.
CONTACT: SERENA GRANT
JIS MONTEGO BAY
PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE INTEGRITY COMMISSION
BEGINS
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, 2 July 2025: The 11th Annual Conference of the Commonwealth
Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies (CCAICACB), concluded Friday 6th June at The Landings Resort & Spa, after rallying attendees under the theme “Recommitting to Fighting Corruption Effectively and Sustainably in the Caribbean.” Over five impactful days, delegates tackled corruption’s entrenched challenges with renewed commitment to unity, innovation, and leadership.
Artificial Intelligence An impactful demonstration was provided by His Excellency, Professor Luis Franceschi Assistant Secretary General of the Commonwealth, on the benefits and drawbacks of the use of Artificial Intelligence. Anti-Corruption Bodies were encouraged to start getting familiar with the technology to better understand how it can be leveraged in the fight against corruption.
Country Updates Reflect Shared Progress and Challenges
Reports from member organisations highlighted major strides in public education, asset declaration, and investigative framework. Yet, countries also reported ongoing constraints, including human resource limitations, political resistance, and inadequate statutory framework.
SWOT & Synergy: Regional Blueprint for Collective Action
Dr. Roger Koranteng of the Commonwealth Secretariat led a comprehensive SWOT analysis session, providing a candid assessment of operational realities. He concluded with strong calls for enhanced synergy among member bodies and for adopting a unified voice in policy advocacy, resource mobilisation, and legal reform. The Ghanaian experience offers a valuable comparative model.
Leadership: Courage, Vision & Transformation Needed
With corruption becoming more normalised globally, presenters—including leaders from the Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Lucia, St.
Maarten, and Trinidad and Tobago—challenged the attending institutions to embrace transformational leadership. Recommendations included institutional resilience training, succession planning, and performance benchmarking.
United Front: Call to the Wider Caribbean and Beyond
The conference recognised the benefits of extending the membership of the Association beyond the original constituents of English-Speaking Commonwealth Caribbean Countries and signified its willingness to accept and encourage membership of Integrity Commissions and anti-corruption bodies of the wider Caribbean countries. “Corruption knows no language barriers—our fight must be collective,” stated Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph, Chairperson of the CCAICACB.
Digital Transformation: VLEX Software Considered
The conference marked a major step forward with the agreement to further investigate the benefits of the VLEX Legal Database-driven AI system, designed to strengthen legal research, asset recovery, and case management initiatives. The Commonwealth Secretariat, CARICOM IMPACS, and UNODC, received the presentation well, however the rest of the association would communicate their interest to the Turks and Caicos Islands Commission, which was taking the lead in investigating the possibilities.
Key Recommendations Going Forward to consider:
- Region-wide adoption of technology integration
- Legislative reforms to streamline access to declarant information
- Youth-centred anti-corruption education campaigns
- Institutional collaboration and peer reviews across commissions
- To explore extending invitations of membership to CCAICACB to other Caribbean countries
- An introduction to the idea of an International Corruption Court
The conference closed with a stirring call to recommit—not just in words, but in action—to building a future rooted in transparency, justice, and ethical leadership across the Commonwealth Caribbean and beyond.
Media Contact: TCI Integrity Commission Email: info@integritycommission.tc Website: www.integritycommission.tc
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
Header: TCI Integrity Commission Team (left to right)- Jovan Flemming (IT Specialist Security Manager),Tanya Lobban Jackson (Chair), Wendal Swann (Commissioner) and Imterniza McCartney (Public Education Officer).
1st insert: Imterniza McCartney (Public Education Officer)
2nd insert: Justice Tanya Lobban Jackson – Chair
3rd insert: (left to right): Justice Tanya Lobban Jackson (Chair), Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph(Chair CCAICACB) and Charna Pompier (Director Integrity Commission, St. Maarten).
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