EDUCATION officials from across The Bahamas convened for the annual Public School Administrators Conclave, focusing on “Transformational Leadership, Building Capacity, Raising Standards, and Achieving Excellence.”

Education Director Dominique Russell opened the gathering with a call for collaborative leadership, stating, “Transformational leadership is inherently collaborative. It is not the product of isolated brilliance, but of shared responsibility and interdependent action.” She said sustainable progress requires alignment between school leaders, ministry officials, union partners, and community advocates.

“If we don’t do it together, we’re not going to get it done. We have to work together if we’re going to see the progress of this beautiful nation,” Russell said to assembled administrators from over 160 public schools serving tens of thousands of students.

Permanent Secretary Lorraine Ambrister praised the dedication of educational leaders, calling them “the wind beneath our wings.” She spoke of the ministry’s commitment to professional development, noting a strategic partnership with Barry University that resulted in 14 graduates earning master’s degrees in exceptional student education.

Minister of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin addressed the gathering, emphasising education’s role as “the cornerstone of national development.” She acknowledged the challenges facing educators, from budgetary constraints to supporting students facing trauma.

“The school campus is the fertile ground for the amazing that exists in our children and that which the nation awaits,” Martin said, outlining the ministry’s vision for education reform in the post-pandemic era.

The conclave will be meet for two days, with featured guest speakers and workshops for administrators.