TCI News
Re-Opening schools in TCI in this COVID-19 era; Q&A with the MoEYCSLS
Questions & Answers with the TCI Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture, Social & Library Services
Magnetic Media: What will happen to students whose parents have to work; what has MOE, which is also responsible for youth and social welfare, set up to support such families?
TCI Ministry of Education: The Ministry through the Department of Social Services and the Department of Education are working closely together to provide support and guidance to parents wherever possible.
Magnetic Media: What is current registration; I am told some grades at the primary level are at capacity. Many parents are no longer able to pay for private school education. What provision is being made to accommodate families impacted by the economic fall-out caused by COVID-19?
TCI Ministry of Education: Registration for the 2020/21 school year for entry into Preschool 1 (Infant 1) and Form 1 of high school was conducted from 1st June to 30th June 2020. The available spaces at both levels have been filled and the Ministry of Education is negotiating with private schools in the Private School Subsidy Programme to place students who did not get places in public schools.
Magnetic Media: How many students are in need of laptops or devices to participate in virtual learning? Is there a count; what is currently available and what needs to be obtained to ensure every learner is able to participate?
TCI Ministry of Education: Based on submissions made to the Department of Education, there are approximately 750 students indicated as needing a tablet or laptop. The Ministry of Education purchased 500 tablets to be distributed to students based on a needs analysis. An additional 250 tablets/laptops have been ordered.
Magnetic Media: Work had started on EMIS; an electronic education management system introduced to the public during the release of the newest Education Policy. Where is that program currently? It is my understanding this program will help to ensure, among other things quality learning?
TCI Ministry of Education: OpenEMIS is an open-source Education Management Information System designed to manage education systems; collect and report data on student attendance, behaviour, and progress; collect and manage data on teacher qualifications and attendance; and manage data on educational institutions to optimize resources and services. EMIS is being used in public schools and the Ministry of Education. Private schools have been registered on EMIS and they are being trained to use the system. OpenEMIS is a data collection and management software is not a teaching and learning software.
Magnetic Media: Why is TCICC roped in with primary and high schools; these are young adults more capable of maintaining social distancing and health protocols. I would think this age group is more capable of coping…
TCI Ministry of Education: The Turks and Caicos Islands Community College operates independently of primary and high schools. The College has a Board of Governors who gives oversight to is operations and the Board, informed by recommendations from the President of the College, arrived at a decision that is in the best interest of the students served by the college, faculty members and other stakeholders. The Board, President of the College and the Ministry of Education will review the strategy for reopening and changes will be made as deemed necessary and safe.
Magnetic Media: Precisely, why did you (MOE) abort the hybrid learning option?
TCI Ministry of Education: The Ministry of Education proposed a blended or hybrid approach to teaching and learning for the commencement of the 2020/21 academic year before the close of the 2020/2019 year. Coming out on a discussion with the Ministry of Health and understanding the implications for teaching and learning in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education supported a blended approach to schooling as the model for the reopening of schools. This is captured in the draft guidelines that were developed and continues to be a feature of the guidelines. A hybrid/blended approach is outlined in the Roadmap for Reopening schools. The decision to reopen schools as online only for the first three weeks after formal teaching and learning begin was based on the number of positive Covid-19 cases recorded in the country before the official start of the 2020/21 school year. This can hardly be seen as an abortion of the hybrid approach but rather as the Ministry taking steps to secure the health and safety of students as opposed to putting them directly in harm’s way.
Ministry of Education responses are from September 8, 2020
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 20 February 2026 — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in collaboration with key
government agencies, coordinated a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Block and Parcel 60609/33 in the Five Cays area.
The exercise was led by the Crown Land Unit, pursuant to its statutory mandate under the Crown Land Ordinance to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land. The ISU coordinated the operation, with support provided by the Planning Department and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, while the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force ensured security throughout the activity.
The enforcement action followed a series of inspections conducted by the Crown Land Unit throughout Five Cays, which identified several illegally constructed buildings made of concrete and timber on sections of the subject parcel. In keeping with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance, occupied structures were served Letters of Illegal Occupation, delivered by hand to occupants and
posted on structures where individuals were absent. Incomplete and unoccupied structures were served Notices of Unauthorized Occupation pursuant to section 22 of the Ordinance. A total of ten (10) Letters of Illegal Occupation and three (3) Notices of Unauthorized Occupation were issued during the exercise.
The Informal Settlements Unit reiterates that these coordinated enforcement exercises form part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to uphold the law, protect Crown land, and manage informal settlements in a structured and lawful manner. Members of the public are reminded that unauthorised occupation and development on Crown land is unlawful and subject to enforcement action.
Almost two million visitors recorded in 2025
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – The Turks and Caicos Islands saw an increase in stayover arrivals in December, seven percent higher than the corresponding period in 2024.
Preliminary data suggests that stay over arrivals by air for the month of December was 66,427 in comparison to 62,610 in December 2024.
From January to December 2025, preliminary visitor arrival numbers totalled 640,754; on par with the number recorded for the same period of 2024.
Stay Over Arrivals YTD December 2024/2025
The first quarter of the calendar year attracted the largest number of arrivals with visitor arrivals three percent higher than the first quarter of 2024. Reduced airlift from the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably the Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue services, was however felt from the second quarter (April to June). As a result, visitor arrivals dropped three percent in the second quarter.
By the third quarter of this year (July to September), geopolitical and economic conditions in the key source markets, namely the United States, led to further contraction of arrivals. In the last quarter of 2025, arrivals were impacted in October due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa but additional airlift from the USA and Canada resulted in an increase in arrivals in November and December.
Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant of Experience Turks and Caicos, said December’s increase in stayover arrivals is an encouraging indicator of the sustained interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier destination.
“While we note and continue to monitor geopolitical shifts that affect us, Experience Turks and Caicos is focused on increasing marketing initiatives in our primary source markets. We have spent the last two years investing in groundwork such as crucial travel advisor training to assist them in selling the destination more effectively. In the next fiscal, we will be building on those initiatives with co-op activities with partners as well as out of home advertising to increase visitation to our destination,” he said.
In Cruise, the preliminary count of passenger arrivals for the month of December 2025 was 129,346, a 22 percent increase over last December. This growth follows the berthing of 11 additional ships in Grand Turk this month.
From January to December, the cruise sector continued to outperform the same period last year, as the 1.3 million total cruise passengers recorded, marks a five percent Year-on-Year increase. 
The cruise sector experienced significant growth in the first quarter of 2025, with passenger arrivals surpassing last quarter by 53 percent. In the second and third quarter however, several cruise lines adjusted their itineraries as vessels were pulled from the fleet or from the Caribbean region, which resulted in fewer passengers.
Arrivals dropped seven percent and 10 percent in the second and third quarters, respectively. Double digit growth was recorded in the last two months of Quarter 4. This growth however, was not sufficient to outweigh the drop in arrivals experienced in October, following the cancellation of cruise calls due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Despite the late-quarter rebound, arrivals for the final quarter of 2025 closed six percent below the same period in 2024.
News
The Department of Trade, Industry & Fair Competition to Host Export Readiness Workshop Under the theme “Empowering TCI Businesses for Local Growth and Global Markets.”
