The Caribbean’s biggest hurdle to technological advancement is no longer a lack of devices or internet access, but a deeper issue of outdated leadership and weak strategies, according to Dr Gale Rigobert, a former Saint Lucia education minister.

Her warning was made during a keynote address at the Foundation for Academic and Vocational Education (FAVE) Foundation’s 50th anniversary conference in St Maarten last month.

Speaking under the conference theme Reimagining Teaching and Learning with AI and STEAM, Rigobert focused the conversation around the digital divide.

She argued that while basic access to technology was once the primary challenge, the region is now held back by “entrenched leadership styles, weak organisational will, and the lack of comprehensive strategies” to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“Unless decisive action is taken, the Caribbean risks remaining consumers rather than producers of technology, and followers rather than shapers of global digital norms,” Rigobert, an expert on AI and digital innovation, warned.

Her speech called for a move beyond one-off investments in laptops or software. Instead, she urged governments and institutions to build entire ecosystems designed to nurture innovation. This includes: Revamping teacher training to include AI and digital tools, reforming curricula to prepare students for a tech-driven future, and ensuring inclusive access for youth, women, and marginalised groups.

True progress, she emphasised, depends on sustained transformation rooted in clear policy, regional cooperation, and a bold long-term vision.

The address served as both a tribute to FAVE’s five decades of educational work and a call to action.

Rigobert challenged leaders to break free from outdated ways of thinking and fully embrace the opportunities presented by AI and STEAM education, ensuring the Caribbean is not left behind in the global digital revolution.

She recently concluded her tenure as Dean of Academics at the University of St Martin.