Antigua introduces universal free education

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Antigua and Barbuda Education Minister Daryll Matthew has described as “historic” the decision to provide “universal free education from early childhood to university” as the new school term got under way on Monday.

Matthew said that universal free education is “a deliberate policy taken by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to ensure that finances and resources are no longer a limitation to access to education here”.

He said that the Gaston Browne administration is “very proud that we have been able to achieve this in 2026”, whether it involves examinations in certain subjects set by the Barbados-based Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) or tuition fees for the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands campus here.