St. George’s Grenada, Tuesday 26 June, 2012, MOEPRU - Open Educational Resources (OERs) have been the focus of major international and regional conferences in June. Just recently, June 20 - 22, Grenada’s very own Education Minister, Sen. Franka Alexis-Bernadine, who was selected by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), represented the region at the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) 2012 World Open Educational Resource Conference. The conference, housed at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, focused on accelerating the movement of using Open Educational Resources (OERs) to revolutionise education. OERs refer to teaching and learning materials that are freely available and accessible by the public. It allows individuals, regardless of their financial abilities, to access much needed resources to advance their education and offers teachers free materials needed to deliver education. Sen. Alexis-Bernardine pointed out that while there is a clear appreciation for the Memorandum of Understanding in operation among the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), UNESCO and Microsoft for the supply of hardware and software to the Caribbean region, it must be recognised that each island territory is at different stages in implementing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education. “As Small Island developing states within the Caribbean region, we are mindful of the challenges we face in accessing educational opportunities afforded by different states - the primary one being the logistics of education both in delivery and access, due to geographical separation,” the minister said. “It must be noted that there is a growing availability of bandwidth and connectivity within the region,” she further added. The Minister believes that this availability of bandwidth, when coupled with the growing use of OERs will enhance the availability of post-secondary education and training. OERs were also at the forefront, June 19 – 22, as Focal Points and other professionals gathered in Barbados for the Regional Open and Distance Policy Round Table, to craft a regional policy for the development and use of OERs. This round table established a foundation for deriving initiatives and an action plan for an integrated regional approach to developing and using OERs through the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and other regions of the Caribbean. Speaking at the conference, Sen. Alexis-Bernadine told participants “it is important for the Caribbean region to work together in setting priorities using regional bodies such as CARICOM and OECS but not forgetting that individual initiatives are vital and must be taken into account.” The Minister further stressed the importance of developing strategies for the Caribbean and receiving the support of partners, such as COL and UNESCO to be part of the developmental process of OERs and ICTs in Education. Regional Governments are said to be enthusiastic about the new direction and the benefits to the education system. Coming from the Regional Open and Distance Policy round table in Barbados, it is anticipated that there would be greater support for the development of OERs from all regional governments as it pertains to funding.