South-South Success: Tanzanian Ambassador to UNESCO Commends St. Kitts-Nevis Pioneering

Teachers’ Degree Programme with Open University of Tanzania

Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, October 23, 2026 (UNESCO National Commission) – The Federation’s two-year-old initiative with the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) to scale-up teachers’ qualifications via a remote-based study programme was warmly praised by H.E. Saidi Yakubu, Ambassador of Tanzania to UNESCO and France.

During a briefing session at the Embassy of Tanzania in Paris, St. Kitts and Nevis Special Envoy to
UNESCO, Ambassador David P. Doyle, outlined the progress being made to provide the Federation’s teaching force with compelling access to a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from OUT – a three-year programme delivered entirely via a dedicated virtual platform with accessible specialised tutors.

Stated H.E. Saidi Yakubu, Ambassador of Tanzania to UNESCO and France: “The partnership between St.Kitts and Nevis and the Open University of Tanzanian, supported by UNESCO, exemplifies the power of South-South cooperation to expand opportunities for teachers, strengthen inclusive education and build lasting bridges between Africa and the Caribbean”.

Ambassador Doyle also announced the commencement this week of a national Call for Expressions of Interest to recruit the 2026 cohort, featuring a now expanded 3-stream degree offering: (1) Special Needs Education, (2) Early-Childhood Education, and (3) a combined integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s of Education programme in Primary Teacher Education.

Funding to cover registration fees, tuition and examination costs for teachers already registered is being mobilized by Ambassador Doyle via UNESCO sources. This has allowed the Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, to offer full scholarships to registered teachers.

Plans are well advanced to fund the 2026 cohort, including a generous grant provided by the Government of Azerbaijan. The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Open University of Tanzania signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 18th October 2024, to provide remote higher education and professional training for teachers in the Federation. Supported by UNESCO and backed by the Ministry of Education, the agreement marked a regional first for a Caribbean nation engaging in South-South and
triangular educational cooperation.

Since its launch, twenty-four (24) local teachers have officially begun remote studies towards Bachelor’s Degrees in Education following a virtual induction ceremony.
The Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, Minister of Education et al stated: “I am particularly proud that we have a distinct curriculum focus, tailored with specialized adaptations for small island developing states (SIDS), including focus areas like special needs education, training management, and digital literacy.”

Spearheading the initiative locally is Dr. Kertney L. Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of the St. Kitts-Nevis TVET Council Secretariat and Chairperson of the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA), who stated: “This programme is a game-changer for workforce development. It allows us to upskill our teachers without taking them out of the classroom, and it directly aligns with the TVET Council’s mandate to provide flexible and inclusive education. By focusing on special needs and early-childhood, we are building a more resilient and equitable teaching force for the Federation.”

Providing valuable support to this initiative locally is the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for
UNESCO, led by H.E. Nerys Dockery, Secretary-General, who is also pleased with progress:
“The National Commission for UNESCO is immensely proud of this landmark South-South cooperation initiative. What began as a bold vision has become a SIDS model. This partnership embodies UNESCO’s Africa Priority and the spirit of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Teachers, whose 60th anniversary we celebrate this month. By offering tailored streams in special needs and early-childhood education, we are standing with our teachers and investing in their professional future. We commend Ambassador Doyle for mobilizing UNESCO and international funding and congratulate our 24 pioneer teachers as we welcome the 2026 cohort.”

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