Training
The children have compulsory schooling between the ages of 5 and 16. The school is free of charge, but spending on school uniforms, transport and books can be a challenge for poor families.
Almost all children go to preschool for at least a year before starting at the age of 5. Then follows eleven school years, divided into a six-year and a five-year stage. The proportion of children who complete all school years has increased after an expansion of schools in the 1990s and is around 90 percent.
- COUNTRYAAH: Country facts of St. Vincent and The Grenadines, including geography profile, population statistics, and business data.
Most schools are state-run, but there are also private schools run by churches but largely funded by state funds. There is a shortage of educated teachers.
For higher education there is a teacher’s seminar and a technical institute. Since 2001, there is also a medical education that cooperates with schools and hospitals in the USA and Canada.
- Educationvv: Provides school and education information in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, covering middle school, high school and college education.
FACTS – EDUCATION
Proportion of children starting primary school
93.4 percent (2017)
Number of pupils per teacher in primary school
14 (2017)
Reading and writing skills
95.6 percent (1970)
Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP
18.6 percent (2017)
Public expenditure on education as a percentage of the state budget
18.6 percent (2017)
