East End Primary School opened a Heritage Village on Tuesday morning, giving pupils a hands-on way to learn about Caymanian history, culture and traditional island life.

The village features objects associated with an earlier way of life, including traditional kites, hammocks, gates and fish pots. The government said the project was created to support culture and heritage education in schools.

Officials said its success would be judged by how regularly teachers use the space and how well pupils retain what they learn over time.

Rather than learn about the past only through books or classroom discussions, pupils can see and handle displays showing how Caymanians lived, worked and spent their leisure time.

The initiative follows the government’s earlier move to place a Cayman Islands flag in every classroom. Officials said the two projects were part of a broader effort to give national symbols and local heritage a more visible role in schools.

Pupils also performed during the opening. Among the selections was “Come Back Home”, a song by the Cayman Islands Folk Singers, which includes the line: “Come back home to your islands, walk along your sand.”

Bringing Heritage Into the Curriculum

Isaac Rankine MP, Minister for Social Development and Innovation and Minister for Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage, said the village would give children a practical way to engage with Caymanian traditions.

“The space here is a place where students can engage with our traditional way of life,” Rankine said. “The students can touch, feel and know exactly where we came from.”

He said the initiative formed part of an effort to integrate culture and heritage into the curriculum through closer collaboration among government, schools and communities.

Rankine also said the concept was expected to be extended to other primary schools. No timetable for a wider rollout was announced.

Preserving Culture in a Growing Cayman

Rolston Anglin MP, Minister for Finance and Economic Development and Minister for Education and Training, said cultural education had become more important as Cayman grew and brought in education professionals from outside the islands.

“Due to our growth, we have to bring education professionals, so quite rightly, how can we expect someone who comes into our society to understand our unique culture?” Anglin said.

He said responsibility for passing on cultural knowledge should not rest solely with schools.

“It should be transmitted in our homes,” Anglin said.

He also called for the initiative to be introduced more widely.

“This is something that should be brought to every school campus across our country,” he said.

Anglin said the objects and traditions represented in the village should be accompanied by materials explaining their history and significance.

“Develop materials on what all these elements mean,” he said. “We don’t document things very well as a society.”

Taking the Lesson Home

The displays include items that were once familiar in Caymanian homes, yards and working life but may be less recognisable to younger generations.

During the opening, Anglin encouraged pupils to ask their parents to make traditional kites with them, extending the lesson beyond the school grounds and into family life.

A similar hands-on approach is used at Cayman Brac Heritage House, where Programme Manager Saskia Edwards oversees educational programmes, traditional craft workshops and cultural storytelling intended to connect people with Caymanian heritage.

Edwards has described the Heritage House as a living testament to Caymanian heritage and culture. Its programmes are intended to encourage curiosity and pride in local traditions while giving participants opportunities to learn through practical activities.

Teresa Echenique, Chief Officer for the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage, presented a gift to East End Primary School principal Dr O’Neil Duncan during the event.

Officials said the broader aim of the Heritage Village was to make Caymanian history, traditions and identity part of pupils’ everyday education and to help families pass that knowledge to the next generation.