Cayman’s education system stands at a crossroads as it determines how to prepare teachers and students for artificial intelligence in time for regional deadlines, while at the same time keeping standards, accountability and trust at the centre.
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)’s decision to admit the use of AI in 2026 is now just weeks away. Cayman’s task is straightforward: It must give teachers clear, workable guidance before the new rules take effect, while national policy is still being finalised.
From planning to practice
The immediate issue is not philosophical but practical: What can schools do in the next term while the national framework is being clarified? Cayman can balance policy discipline with classroom readiness through a dual-track approach that aligns strategy with daily teaching realities.
Track A involves governance and strategy. This track continues the formal policy process of securing budgets, confirming monitoring standards and finalising national direction. Forthcoming decisions from education authorities will define the long-term framework and timeline. That process must continue deliberately, but without delaying schools’ ability to act.
Track B includes readiness and confidence building. At the same time, schools can run a short, structured ‘AI Readiness’ phase from December 2025 to February 2026. The aim is to build teacher confidence and basic literacy in AI before the 2026 CXC assessments begin. This approach allows teachers to learn, test ideas and identify risks without overstepping policy boundaries.
A practical readiness plan
The first phase is orientation, which can occur in November and December of this year.
During this phase, teachers take brief, hands-on sessions covering AI basics, what CXC permits and the essentials of privacy and ethics. Delivered on professional development days or other agreed dates by University College of the Cayman Islands’ facilitators, the workshops send staff back to class with a one-page guide and a simple toolkit they can use immediately.
The next phase involved applied practice and can take place over the first two months of 2026. A small, selected group of teachers can take part in a trial using low-risk AI that, among other things, can generate lesson prompts, adjust rubrics or draft feedback. The participants log what works, what doesn’t and what support is needed. These reflections create Cayman’s first local evidence base for AI in classrooms.
The third phase can take place in March 2026 and produces reflection and integration.
Schools compile short reports and teacher insights. Summaries can then be shared with the relevant authorities and personal development leads to inform the 2026–27 national training and implementation plan.
