Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin said the Education Bill 2026, once passed, will repeal the Education Act of 1962 and its various amendments over the years up to 1996.
“This therefore represents the first comprehensive review of our education policy and administrative framework in almost 65 years,” the Education Minister said during the Reading of Bills and Initiatives in the House of Assembly on Monday, March 23, 2026.
“The Education Bill 2026 is supremely significant as for the first time in legislation, it explicitly affirms education as a human right, free for every child.”
She said, “On the issue of free for every child, I want to give notice that we intend to move an amendment. Section 23 has certain language but when you look at it combined with clause 45, you see that it continues to give the Minister a role in providing materials.”
The Minister said however, “for the avoidance of doubt, we will move legislation akin to language used in the 62 act which speaks about the provision of materials as resources permit.”
“The Ministry has been actively involved in providing and seeking to provide resources, ebooks, textbooks, and electronics for students free of charge, so this clause as it relates to materials and text will become moot in a very short order.”
She explained that this legislation, raises up education to the highest pinnacle in the quest for human advancement, undergirded by progressive policy and a targeted administrative regime to procure desired outcomes for the Bahamian child.
The Education Minister also noted that this is not symbolic language. It is a legal and moral declaration that: Every child, regardless of background, ability, location, or circumstance, is entitled to education; by this legislation the state bears responsibility not only for access, but for quality, equity, and protection of that right. Parents too and others in the wider community are stakeholders, legally bound to ensure that every child is accorded that human right and that that right is not interfered with.
She said decisions about education must always be guided by the best interests of the child.
“By embedding education as a right in law, this Bill raises up the Bahamian child, strengthens accountability, reinforces equity, and aligns our national education system with international human rights principles—while grounding them firmly in Bahamian realities.
“This legislation modernizes the legislative framework by introducing updated definitions, strengthening governance, expanding compulsory education, formalizing national curriculum standards, adding home-schooling regulations, enhancing accountability mechanisms, and aligning educational administration with contemporary global practices.”
The Minister explained that it replaces the 1962 Act, which focused primarily on foundational governance, school registration, and minimum education standards.
She said, “The legislation we debate today is therefore a modern, forward looking regime that places the learner at the centre of our national education system.”
The Education Minister said, “This Bill replaces an outdated framework with legislation that reflects how children learn today, how families engage with education, how technology has transformed access to learning, and how the nation must prepare young people for life, work, and citizenship in the 21st century.”
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