Training
The school system is organized according to
the British model. The state school is free of charge
and schooling is compulsory from the age of five and ten
years onwards. However, many children do not complete
schooling. Reading and writing skills are just over 90
percent.
The basic stage covers seven years and is followed by
a five-year extension phase. The last two years at the
higher level are not compulsory and they are charged
with a fee which prevents children from poor families
from studying further.
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COUNTRYAAH:
Country facts of Dominica, including geography profile, population statistics, and business data.
At Dominica there is a teacher's college and a
nursing education. Higher studies can also be conducted
remotely at the University of the West Indies in
Jamaica.
Two privately owned medical colleges are on the
island. However, these are not part of the national
education system, but lock students in, especially North
American universities.
For studies at foreign universities, the government
grants a number of scholarships each year.
FACTS - EDUCATION
Proportion of children starting primary
school
95.6 percent (2016)
Number of pupils per teacher in primary
school
13 (2016)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of GDP
10.5 percent (2015)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of the state budget
10.5 percent (2015)
Mass Media
Freedom of the press is guaranteed in the
constitution and the media can work without
restrictions. However, the law makes it possible to
prosecute journalists for slander, which has been used
by the government on several occasions.
There is no daily newspaper. Every week a few news
magazines are published with small editions, including
The Sun and The Chronicle.
The Sun is also available in an internet version. Other
domestic news portals on the web are
dominicanewsonline.com, dominicavibes.dm,
thedominican.net and dominicagazette.com. On the
Caribbean site caribbeannewsnow.com there is a tab for
news about Dominica.
A state radio station broadcasts programs in English
and in the country's Creole language (see Population and
Languages). There are two private radio channels. The
country lacks national TV. A local company broadcasts
cable TV that reaches 95 percent of the island.
FACTS - MASS MEDIA
Percentage of the population using the
internet
70 percent (2017)
Number of mobile subscriptions per 100
inhabitants
106 (2018)
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