Education in Trinidad and Tobago

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Education in Trinidad and Tobago is free and compulsory between ages 6 and 12.^[1] Gross and net primary enrollment rates were unavailable as of 2001.^[1] Reports indicate that absenteeism and school dropouts are problems; some parts of the school system suffer from overcrowding and substandard physical facilities.^[1] The system has been criticized for salaries paid to absent teachers, which has led to teachers staying away for extremely lengthy periods of time.

Some high level schools have been known to solicit money from students (in the form of donations) even when not permitted by the Ministry. Some administrative bodies of certain schools have also been found to spend this money on personal items and services, contrary to the promise of donations helping the students.

The education system in Trinidad and Tobago mirrors that of the British education system. Children generally start pre-school at the early age of 3 years. This level of tuition is not mandatory but most Trinbagonians start their children's schooling at this stage as children are expected to have basic reading and writing skills when they commence primary school. Students proceed to a primary school at the age of 5 years. Seven years are spent in primary school. During the final year of primary school, students prepare for and sit the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) which determines the secondary school the child is to attend. For most children and parents, this is a very stressful period. Students attend secondary school for a minimum of five years, leading to the CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) examinations, which is the equivalent of the British GCE O levels. Children with satisfactory grades may opt to continue high school for a further two year period, leading to the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), the equivalent of GCE A levels. Both CSEC and CAPE examinations are held by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).

Public Primary and Secondary education is free for all, although private and religious schooling is available for a fee. Tertiary education is also free for all, however, up to the level of the Bachelors degrees for all students of the University of the West Indies (UWI), the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) and certain other local accredited institutions. Government also currently subsidies some Masters programmes. Both the Government and the private sector also provide financial assistance in the form of academic scholarships to gifted or needy students for study at local, regional or international universities.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Belize". Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor (2001). Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor (2002). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.