Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Dr. Natalio Wheatley said that his government has finalised a five-year strategic staffing plan that will add over eighty vital positions across the Territory’s schools to strengthen support, accountability, and student success.

The Premier while delivering his 2025 Territorial Address said $2.5 million has also been allocated this year to support critical upgrades.

Premier Wheatley said, “This summer, schools across the Territory are scheduled to undergo essential works, including roof repairs, window and door installation, electrical upgrades, plumbing improvements, and the installation of backup generators.”

Safety enhancements and the installation of new security systems are also planned to ensure learning environments remain secure, resilient, and conducive to 21st-century learning.

The Premier said that the government has also invested in classroom resources including smartboards, computers, tablets, and robotics kits, fuelling a culture of creativity. “Nearly seventy educators have accessed advanced training, and our revised compensation framework positions Virgin Islands teachers competitively regionally, helping us attract and retain top talent,” he added.

Premier Wheatley made the call to action to educators in the Territory to begin shape the minds of future Virgin Islanders and encouraged them to obtain a copy of the National Sustainable Development Plan and utilise it as an educational tool to inform the next generation of leaders on how the government is securing their future by building a sustainable nation.

“This is a commitment I take very seriously,” the Premier said, adding, “I firmly believe that we have an obligation to honour the legacy of our forbearers by passing on the benefits they bestowed upon us: land ownership, education, an independent spirit, resilience, and all that characterises a Virgin Islander.”

Honourable Wheatley further detailed several accomplishments in education including curriculum enhancements to aline with STEAM Innovation, the Mathivated Project, strategic staffing plans to strengthen schools, 2.5 Million dollars being allocated for critical upgrades, the Lets Teach VI Initiative and five new playgrounds introduced to schools in the Territory.

            The Territorial Address was delivered under the theme, “Planning, Priorities and Progress (2024) and Laying the Blocks of Success (2025) Building a Sustainable Nation”.

The address can be viewed in its entirety on the Government’s website at www.bvi.gov.vg or you on the Government’s Facebook page at BVIGovernment. The public is also encouraged to take the public satisfaction survey on the Government of the Virgin Islands using the QR code.