More than five hundred students from pre-schools, primary and secondary schools in Antigua and Barbuda participated in the second annual Inter-School Garden Competition and Exhibition jointly organized by the ministries of agriculture and education.
The event was held at the Botanical Gardens in St. John’s and it was a hive of activities on Tuesday as the young people displayed their skills in all aspects of agriculture, from planting and harvesting of crops, to the rearing of animals for meat and of poultry for eggs.
Tuesday’s exhibition marked the grand finale of the 2025 Inter-school Gardening Competition as students, educators, parents, well-wishers and officials gathered for the awards ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.
This year’s theme being “sustainability and youth empowerment, the event celebrated weeks of hard work and creativity” perked students from schools across the island. After months of toiling they met at the Botanical Gardens in St. John’s, to enjoy a variety of experiences and exhibits centered on the agriculture and the agro-industry industry.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne led the official government party that included the Minister of Education, Daryll Matthew, Minister of Agriculture, Anthony Smith Jnr., Director of Education, Clare Browne, and Director of Agriculture, Gregory Bailey among others. Education Officer Agricultural Science Department Nicolette Francis performed the role of host of the event.
PM Browne commended both the students and their teachers for preparing them for participation in the competition. He was particularly pleased with the turnout to the event. “I wish to commend all our teachers for encouraging our students for getting involved in agriculture and literally exposing them to agriculture at an early age. We spend hundreds of millions of dollars importing food annually, and if we can even substitute 25 percent of the amounts that we import, then that in itself could be close to $100 million. If that amount of money can be spread among farmers here, then that would empower our people while at the same time would provide residents with more nutritious products and meats and make our country more food secured,” he remarked.
Head judge of the competition, Carol-Faye Bynoe-George congratulated the students from twenty-six (26) schools, for their creativity, discipline, and commitment to agriculture. She also remarked on the increase in competing schools, noting a 138% increase in participation from schools across the island and extended an invitation for more schools to come on board for next year’s competition. “I want to send a warning to the Secondary Schools, they need to be watchful and mindful of the pre and primary schools because during the adjudication we observed the enthusiasm, hard work and determination exhibited from those levels of the academia, and ‘a word to the wise is sufficient’,” advised Bynoe-George.
Mill Academy emerged as the standout academic institution of the day, earning the Prime Minister’s Award as the Overall Winner with a near-perfect score of 43.8/50. The school also claimed First Place in the Primary School category and took home the Pinnacle Feeds Award for Best Record Keeping, scoring a perfect 10/10.
Other notable winners included:
Simon Bolivar Preschool, awarded First Place in the Preschool category (41.6/50)
Sir Novelle Richards Academy claimed First Place in the Secondary School category (41.8/50)
Olivia David Primary School (formerly Bolans Primary and first time participating) awarded second place and also received the Best Garden Layout award (8.6/10)
Second place and Third place awards across all school levels recognized the consistent quality of garden projects, including:
Sir Luther Wynter Preschool, Second Place in Preschool category (36.5/50)
Jennings Secondary School, Second Place in Secondary Schools (38.6/50)
Villa Preschool, Third Place in Preschools (35.6/50)
Glanville’s Secondary School, Third Place in Secondary Schools (37.4/50)
Jennings Primary School (first time entering), Third Place among Primary Schools (36.6/50)
Prizes and tokens of appreciation were presented by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Education, and the Director of Education.
The Inter-School Gardening Competition continues to be a powerful educational tool, teaching students about food sovereignty, food security, environmental care, and sustainable living-skills that will serve them and their communities well into the future.
