Education Minister Kenson Casimir has defended his recent comments on population growth, while outlining a series of education and nutrition initiatives aimed at adapting to Saint Lucia’s shifting demographics.
Speaking during a pre-cabinet briefing, Casimir stressed that his call for increased birth rates was grounded in personal responsibility and financial readiness.
“I have taken my responsibility to ensure that I contribute to the next generation of Saint Lucians. I have my twin girls, I am very proud of them,” he said. “I will decide, based on my financial position, whether I should have more children, and I would say the same thing to all Saint Lucians. If you can afford to have more children, then by all means, as Minister of Education, I encourage you to do so.”
At the same time, he underscored the importance of family planning for those unable to meet the financial demands of raising children. “If you cannot afford to, then I would ask you to practise family planning, ensure that you use contraceptive methods that are readily available in this nation,” Casimir added.
The minister also pointed to government initiatives designed to support maternal and child health, including “free ultrasounds for women when they are pregnant” and broader improvements in healthcare services.
Addressing the impact of declining birth rates on the education system, Casimir said the government is taking proactive steps to repurpose underutilised classrooms.
“If you have a classroom with ten children and another with ten, what we are going to do is move them into one class and use the other for something like special education,” he explained. “You can have a programme where you have a special education teacher and move those that need that level of teaching into those classrooms.”
He noted that a similar approach would be applied to technical and vocational education. “Identifying those individuals gravitating towards TVET and using the classroom for that level of teaching ensures you do not have empty classrooms,” he said.
Casimir also revealed plans to reform how schools handle student discipline, particularly for those who are suspended.
“Previously, a child would get suspended and be sent home for a week or two, left at their own whims and fancies,” he said. “We are looking at identifying a classroom within those institutions and instituting a programme with a behavioural modification counsellor to ensure that child can be realigned and become more productive.”
On school nutrition, the minister signalled a shift towards healthier eating habits, supported by government-led programmes. He highlighted the expansion of the “One Banana per Child” initiative and the introduction of a “one egg per child” programme.
“We are looking at the nutrient background of what this government is proposing,” Casimir said. “Egg is said to have almost all the nutrients that you can need, so we want to encourage mindful eating and get people to evaluate what they are putting into their system.”
He explained that rather than imposing outright bans, the government intends to take a more gradual, educational approach to reducing sugar consumption in schools.
“If you try to just implement something on people who are used to having it one way, it will be very difficult,” he noted. “Through the curriculum, we want to impress on people the benefits and disadvantages of consuming sugar, so we can get to a point where we remove sugary drinks.”
Casimir also touched briefly on his role as parliamentary representative for Gros Islet, indicating continued support for constituents participating in national events such as the Carnival Queen Pageant.
“All participants will be given a contribution at the same level. Nobody will receive preferential treatment,” he said, adding that while he supports all contestants, he would be “very happy” to see a representative from his constituency win.
The minister maintained that despite declining enrolment figures, the government remains committed to ensuring that “we can still develop productive young individuals” through strategic reforms and targeted investment in education.
