For several decades, the Netherlands Antilles education structure has been a traditional system that was organized in the same manner as the Dutch system. Unfortunately, this system was not meeting the needs of the majority: the Papiamentu-speaking population. It was geared toward the most talented students and not based on the cultural background of the Antillean society. The education system was failing children, as too many children left school without a diploma, and thus the region lags behind modern and global societies. This article discusses what had been the problems of the Netherlands Antilles former education system and the design and implementation of the new education plan--the foundation-based education (FBE).