The Bahamian Reality: What the Data Shows
• The Bahamas Global School Health Survey (2023) shows that among 13‑17‑year‑olds in The Bahamas, 17% reported having used cannabis at least once.
• The Ministry of Education has instituted a “learning‑loss assessment” post‑pandemic and pulled students from regular classes for additional literacy and numeracy sessions.
• A case‑study found that during the pandemic, children in Bahamian homes experienced increased psychological stress and aggression due to caregiver stress.
• Official data confirms that, for many Bahamian students, schooling during and after 2020 has faced structural challenges.
How These Hidden Burdens Affect Learning
When a student arrives at school still processing the events of home life, the classroom becomes a second battlefield:
• Attention and retention suffer — hunger, worry, lack of sleep, a noisy/stressful home environment all drain cognitive bandwidth.
• Missed connections — When earlier lessons are skipped or misunderstood (due to absence or distraction), subsequent content becomes harder.
• Less engagement — Students who feel ‘behind’ or burdened may disengage—even physically attend but mentally check out.
• Compounding disadvantage — When these burdens layer with learning‑loss, the gap widens rapidly.
