Education Minister Daryll Matthew says schools and the Ministry of Education cannot replace parents, urging families in Antigua and Barbuda to remain actively involved in their children’s education and development.

Speaking Thursday at the 2026 Grade Six National Assessment Awards ceremony, Matthew said the time children spend at school represents only part of the guidance and support they need.

“To our parents and guardians, as minister of education, I can tell you plainly that no ministry, no curriculum, no principal, no teacher can take your place,” he said. “We have your children for approximately six hours per day. You have them for the rest.”

Matthew delivered the message as students were recognized for their performance in this year’s national assessment. He said their achievements reflected the efforts of families as well as the work of teachers and the students themselves.

Behind every student being honored, he said, was a home that had contributed to that success through practical help, encouragement and sacrifice.

He cited mothers checking homework after work, fathers switching off the television to assist their children, grandparents offering prayers and guardians providing quiet encouragement.

Matthew acknowledged that families had supported their children under different financial circumstances, with some having plenty and others managing with very little.

“Being a strong parent has never been about money,” he said. “It’s about being present, setting a standard, saying no when you need to say no, and staying the course when things get hard.”

He told parents that the recognition belonged to them as well as their children and asked them to maintain that involvement as the students progressed through secondary school.

With the teenage years ahead, Matthew urged parents to remain close to their children, understand their friendships and pay attention to their phone activity.

“Stay close to them, know their friends, know what is on their phones, keep your expectations high, but always keep your doors open to them,” he said.

The minister also assured families that schools and the ministry would continue working with them.

“Please know, parents, you’re not doing this alone,” Matthew said. “This ministry and your child’s school are your partners every step of the way.”

He said a child’s willingness to work, a teacher’s belief in that child and firm parental support could combine to help young people achieve their potential.

Matthew also praised teachers for laying the foundations of the students’ success, noting that every child being honored had once needed help learning to read.

He recognized educators who stayed after school and saw abilities in children that their parents might not yet have identified.

“Every doctor, every engineer, every scientist, every minister in the Cabinet, and perhaps minister in the church, sat first in front of a teacher,” he said.

Matthew told the awardees to acknowledge those contributions personally before leaving the ceremony.

“Before you leave here today, find your teacher. Find your guardian or your parent and look them in the eye and say, thank you,” he said. “You did the work, yes, but you did not do it alone.”

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Education Minister Says Schools Cannot Replace Parents in Antigua and Barbuda.